This is an in-person event only. There is no live stream.
(The talk will be followed by a drinks reception in our historic library, where a paid bar will be available.)
Dr Jane Wildgoose is an artist and researcher; she is also Keeper of her own collection, The Wildgoose Memorial Library (WML): an idiosyncratic assemblage of reference material that provides the cornerstone of an ongoing project in which Jane reflects on the history of collecting.
This talk traces the development of the WML from its inception as the research resource for a BBC Radio programme, about a wisp of hair from the head of Horatio Nelson bought on eBay, to Jane's resurrection of the 18th-century “Portland Museum” in collaboration with the collections at Yale University, and her investigations into the provenance of 19th-century human remains in museums in London.
Comparing the wonder she experienced, when first studying prints of cabinets of curiosity, with the disillusionment that confronts her in the archives of human remains collections originating from the colonies, Jane concludes with Seeing Truth in Museums: her current project examining the histories of Tasmanian Aboriginal artefacts in collections in the UK, and their significance as living stories for the contemporary Aboriginal artists who advocate for their return.
Dr Jane Wildgoose combines research into the history of collecting with heartfelt investigations into the material culture of mourning. She has exhibited at Sir John Soane’s Museum, Waddesdon Manor and Kensington Palace in the UK, and at Yale Center for British Art in the USA. Her recent project, Seeing Truth in Museums, presented in collaboration with Artquest at Conway Hall, was commissioned by the University of Connecticut and funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. Her current research is published by The Wildgoose Memorial Library in association with Negative Press.
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Concessions
Please buy the concession ticket if you are any of the below:
- 65 years of age, or over
- Under 26 years of age
- Currently in receipt of UK government benefit (including, but not limited to, Income Based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit, and Universal Credit)
- Currently in full-time education.
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This is an in-person event at the Linnean Society of London on Piccadilly, London, only. There will be a recording, which will be uploaded to our YouTube channel later.
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