In 1989 2 historians gave me a trunk full of material they’d used to write a book on the history of EDF.* Yesterday I finally got to pay it forward by giving to a grad student 18 boxes of painstakingly assembled photocopies of documents related to the early history of the French nuclear program - ThreadSky

gabriellehecht.bsky.social • 3 days ago

In 1989 2 historians gave me a trunk full of material they’d used to write a book on the history of EDF.*

Yesterday I finally got to pay it forward by giving to a grad student 18 boxes of painstakingly assembled photocopies of documents related to the early history of the French nuclear program

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root2702.bsky.social•3 days ago

That's a dream come true for anyone who doesn't want to throw away a trove of data (or generational memories) but doesn't know who could possibly need it.

gabriellehecht.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yeah, I was pretty chuffed to find a student who actually wants to use this.

One other researcher has been through this material, and he produced an awesome book (using mostly other materials , ofc, but I was still happy he found use in my docs)

https://newbooksnetwork.com/toxique

gabriellehecht.bsky.social•3 days ago

This is the semi-hidden archive of this period. Assembled by copying the contents of closets at nuclear power plants, the office of one of EDF’s* top brass who was feeling rebellious, local labor union offices, departmental and municipal archives, & more. It’s unique. It’s also totally unorganized

gabriellehecht.bsky.social•3 days ago

*EDF = Electricité de France, nationalized electric utility that produces the nuclear power that generates 70-80% of the country’s electricity

maaikeverbruggen.bsky.social•3 days ago

That is so cool

clancyny.bsky.social•3 days ago

Back in the day, photocopiers were the bomb! :)

gabriellehecht.bsky.social•3 days ago

And access to one that was right next to the documents? Sheer heaven. I was an expert photocopier

clancyny.bsky.social•3 days ago

"I was an expert photocopier." The title of your memoir? Lol.

People won't get it! 😂

I call it "the means of reproduction" :)

Ellsberg's Wikipedia: "political activist, economist, and U.S military analyst" What about photocopier?!

Media, PA: We know of COINTELPRO because of brave photocopiers!

gabriellehecht.bsky.social•3 days ago

Yes, that would be an excellent title!

In addition to copying many (SO many, literally 10s of 1000s) pages for my own research, back in 1998 sweetie and I traded being each other's RAs & I spent an entire week, 8 hrs/day, on my feet copying reports for him in a Geneva library

gabriellehecht.bsky.social•3 days ago

It ended badly, but not bc of me. We were on a research trip around the world, so we sent material back home after each stop. He was like, "oh it's Switzerland, I'll just use the mail" and sent it all back in a huge mail bag.

I was screaming "YOU CAN'T TRUST SWITZERLAND" which my readers...

aidnography.de•3 days ago

What’s the book on the history of EDF?

gabriellehecht.bsky.social•2 days ago

Jean François Picard, Alain Beltran & 3rd author whom i forget, Histoires d’EDF. From the 1980s

Also in that decade: Robert Frost, Alternating Currents

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