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Royal Society, London

The 1650s form a significant landmark in the history of science. This decade saw the foundation of early scientific societies. The first such body to receive official recognition was Accademia del Cimento (Academy of Experiment) founded in Florence in 1653 by two of Galileo's former pupils. Sadly this society only lasted ten years before the Roman Catholic Church ended Italy's position at the forefront of science.

Before the Accademia's demise, the world's longest continuously enduring scientific society had begun to meet in London. From 1645 a group of scientifically minded people began to gather regularly in London. This group was centred around Katherine Boyle, Robert Boyle's clever sister. Known as the "Invisible College," they would meet at Katherine Boyle's house, or at Gresham College in Bishopsgate, an institution formed in 1597 to provide free public lectures. In 1662, under a charter from Charles II the Invisible College became the Royal Society. The Society had its headquarters first at Gresham College, then from 1780 at Somerset House in the Strand, and from 1967at its present home in Carlton House Terrace, just off the Mall. The Royal Society's success, and its French equivalent the Academie des Sciences founded four years later, led to many imitations. These societies marked the moment when scientific investigation started to become part of the establishment, rather than being seen by the establishment as a threat.

 

 

 

Painting of the Royal Society in the stairwell

Since 1662 the Royal Society has witnessed many announcements of scientific milestones. The Society also became a focus for collections of scientific artifacts, which in 1781 became the core collection of the early British Museum. In 2008 I visited a display of some of the Royal Society's oldest items. The very fact that I was looking at objects was part of the change they represented. The old conception of the world did not involve looking at things. Wisdom came through prayer, meditation, or the peripatetic method, which involved wandering around university grounds talking. The Church did keep collections of objects that it considered important, but it was always vital that these objects were not observed too closely. An inventory of "relics" kept at Canterbury Cathedral in the fourteenth and fifteenth century reveals why: "Aaron's rod...Some of the stone upon which the Lord stood when He ascended into heaven. Some of the Lord's table upon which He made the Supper. Some of the prison whence the Angel of the Lord snatched the blessed Apostle Peter. Some wool which Mary the Virgin had woven. Some of the oak upon which Abraham climbed to see the Lord. And some of the clay out of which God fashioned Adam." (Knighton's Chronicle - Quoted in Who Murdered Chaucer by Terry Jones P 194) Large collections of openly displayed objects were not characteristic of a religious outlook; and those objects that were collected could not be studied if they were to retain their aura of importance. At the Royal Society I saw a pair of iron spheres used by early scientist William Gilbert to study the Earth's magnetic nature, and which formed some of the conclusions presented in his book of 1600 Concerning Magnetism, Magnetic Bodies and the Great Magnet Earth. William Gilbert was actually looking carefully at things, and that was what marked the break with the past. We take museums full of objects to look at for granted these days, but they are actually an indication of the nature of the modern age. Nehemiah Grew, an early cataloguer of the Royal Society collection remarked "Instead of meddling with Mystick, Mythologick,or Hieroglyphick matters... I thought it much more proper to remarque some of the Uses and Reasons of Things." As a cataloguer of artifacts, Grew was well placed to be thinking in this way. Every time we go into a museum and look carefully at the objects in front of us we are in effect being scientists. Read more on our History of Museums page.

 

 

 

Opening Times: The Royal Society is not officially open to the public, but if you make an appointment first you should be able to visit. The exhibition space is in the basement, and is looked after by the library. Visitors will be asked to register as readers with the library before being taken down to the exhibition. The Royal Society library is open 10am - 5pm Monday to Friday.

Please note that the library is currently closed for refurbishment and should re-open June 2010.

Address: The Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG

Directions: Carlton House Terrace is just off the Mall in west London. Click here for an interactive map centred on the Royal Society.

Access: There are steps at the entrance. There is lift access up to the library, and down to the exhibition area. Ring ahead to discuss your needs.

Contact:

telephone: 020 7451 2500

fax: 020 7930 2170

web site: http://royalsociety.org/