The diabolical symphony of the mechanical age: Technology and symbolism ofsound in European and North American noise abatement campaigns, 1900-40

New technologies profoundly change our sonic surroundings, the world's soun dscape. However, research dealing with the sound of technology is scarce wi thin Science and Technology Studies (S&TS). This study argues that such a s ilence should be broken, since the sound of technology not only tunes our s onic environment, but has also been a highly controversial aspect of techno logy loaded with symbolic significance. Research into such a symbolism of s ound enhances our understanding of the responses to technology-related chan ges in early 20th-century Western cities. The importance of sound will be m ade clear by discussing the historiography and anthropology of noise and si lence, and by analyzing a crucial episode in the history of noise abatement in European and North American cities. By showing how the symbolism of sou nd influenced the noise abatement campaigns and the measures taken in respo nse, the paper illustrates how the study of technological culture can be de epened by focusing on sound.