Forgotten makers of progress: Rediscovering J. G. Hofmann's legacy in the dialogue between science and technology

In 2024, at the Deutsches Museum, I had the opportunity to study a “mystery” instrument crafted by a certain J. G. Hofmann, an optical instrument maker active in nineteenth-century Paris. That work sparked research that led me to reconstruct Hofmann's life and work. Hofmann was internationally celebrated in his time and his instruments can be found in several of the world's most prestigious collections. Indeed, his devices were appreciated by renowned scholars and employed in major scientific expeditions, such as the Italian mission to Sicily for the 1870 solar eclipse and that to Muddapur, led by Tacchini, to observe the 1874 transit of Venus. This paper provides a telling example of how stories like Hofmann's underscore the essential interplay between science and technology, where scientific instruments extend human perception, while new discoveries drive the invention of more refined tools. This mutual reinforcement drives innovation forward, in a virtuous cycle. Reflecting on Hofmann's role thus sheds light on the ongoing dialogue between science and technology --a dynamic partnership that pushes the boundaries of knowledge and shapes human understanding.