Hidden in decorative ceiling panels, names on specimen labels and side notes on expedition diaries, plant names and faded portraits, science is full of hidden figures that contributed to our current knowledge, collections and endeavours.
From Graman Quassi, the botanist who discovered the plant Quassi amara could be used to treat parasitic infections, to John Edmonstone, Darwin’s unsung mentor, join our Nature Live Online to find our more about the forgotten stories behind natural history.
October 20, 12 - 12.45 |
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The incredible story of John Edmonstone |
John Edmonstone was an enslaved man who gained his freedom. He tutored a young Charles Darwin in the craft of taxidermy - a skill that proved fundamental to Darwin formulating his theory of evolution. |
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The extraordinary tale of Graman Kwasi |
Read the tale of seventeenth century Surinamese freedman Graman Kwasi. A healer, naturalist, and spy, he described a medicinal plant to ward off fever and parasites that is still used today. |
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Patrick Campbell on being young and black in science |
Patrick spent 25 years caring for 800,000 fish specimens before changing to reptiles, where he became a Senior Curator. Our Libraries and Archives staff believe he may have been the first black curator appointed to a permanent position in the Museum |
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Diversity and inclusion at the Museum |
Museums are places for society to come together, reflect and discuss, but they can only be so if they are inclusive of the society within which they sit. We have a lot of work to do in diversifying our workforce, audiences, and the way we understand and talk about our collection. |
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Why it is crucial for us to tell the whole story |
Many natural history collections throughout Europe and the western world have their origins in colonialism.
How these institutions now engage with this history is crucial in how they move forward to make their collections more accessible. |
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