14 March 2024 Susan Kay-Williams 150 Years of The Royal Society of Needlework. Established in 1872 it had two missions: to support educated women who would otherwise have been destitute by enabling them to earn their own living and to present hand embroidery as an art form worthy of being seen alongside fine art in galleries. But what has helped the RSN to stay alive is for it to repeatedly change its activities while keeping to its purpose, as well as having some formidable supporters. In the 1890s it started to train women so they could go on to earn a living teaching hand embroidery in schools and technical colleges, sending graduates all over the world. In the 1960s the RSN changed to having an apprenticeship. Then in the 2000s the RSN brought in a degree course and changed the apprenticeship to the Future Tutor programme and in the last year, in response to the pandemic it has started teaching online, opening up the RSN approach to hand embroidery to many more people worldwide. It can simultaneously offer high quality technical tuition and classes for mental health and wellbeing. This lecture gives a flavour of how the RSN has survived and thrived and is a fascinating look into social history of the last 150 years. 8 February 2024 Caroline Shenton National Treasures: Saving the Nation’s Art in the Second World War. This is the gripping and sometimes hilarious story of how a band of heroic curators and eccentric custodians saved Britain’s national heritage during our Darkest Hour. As Hitler’s forces gathered on the other side of the Channel to threaten these islands, men and women from London’s national museums, galleries and archives forged extraordinary plans to evacuate their collections to safety. Utilising country houses from Buckinghamshire to Cumbria, tube tunnels, Welsh mines and Wiltshire quarries, a dedicated team of unlikely heroes packed up their greatest treasures in a race against time during the sweltering summer of 1939, dispatching them throughout the country on a series of secret wartime adventures, retold in this talk. 14 December 2023 Sarah Burles ‘Fear Not’: The Annunciation In Art The story of the Annunciation, the Angel Gabriel’s appearance to the Virgin Mary as told in St Luke’s gospel, has inspired some of the most beautiful images in Western Art. These include Simone Martini’s altarpiece for Siena Cathedral, now in the Uffizi Gallery and Fra Angelico’s frescoes in the monastery of San Marco in Florence. The earliest depiction of the Annunciation is thought to date back to the 2nd century AD. Since then, the narrative has been re imagined by numerous artists including Van Eyck, Botticelli, Dürer and Rossetti. This lecture will take you on a journey through a range of different depictions of the Annunciation and explore the ways in which artists have captured this pivotal moment of the Christian story. Buffet Lunch available 9 November 2023 Patrick Craig Resurgam: Music In St Pauls Cathedral The last time St Paul’s Cathedral was deprived of music for a long period was after the devastating Fire of London in 1666. But in 1697 Christopher Wren was able to triumphantly declare RESURGAM as the phoenix rose from the ashes. Patrick will look at music from either side of this momentous event. He will also guide us through the finest repertoire from across the Cathedral’s liturgical year. Escorted by a selection of his favourite photographs, music and videos he will aim to convey the glories of twenty-five years of singing in this extraordinary building. 12 October 2023 Paul Bahn The Shock of the Old: An Account of the Discovery of Britain’s First Ice Age Cave Art at Creswell Crags An account of the search for, and discovery of, Britain’s first Ice Age cave art at Creswell Crags (Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire) in 2003 - how my 30-year dream was fulfilled in a single morning! The engravings and bas-reliefs discovered have been dated to around 13,000 years ago, and are thus by far the oldest known artistic depictions in the country. Buffet lunch available 14 Sept 2023 Tobias Capwell The Scoliotic Knight: Reconstructing the real Richard lll The discovery of the grave of King Richard III in Leicester raised an army of new and fascinating questions. The severe scoliosis exhibited by the skeleton revealed that the twisted physique of Shakespeare’s ‘Black Legend’ was based in fact. But how could a diminutive person, suffering from a significant spinal condition, have become a skilled practitioner of the knightly fighting arts? How could he have worn armour and fought in three major battles? What would his armour have looked like? How might it have disguised the King’s condition, presenting him as a powerful warrior? In the case of a king whose royal legitimacy was questioned by many people, how were the visual trappings of knightly kingship used to solidify his claim? Here we encounter armour as an expressive art-form, designed to radiate messages, justifications, proof of the wearer’s right to rule as a king- a wielder of divine power on Earth. In 2015 Toby had the unusual honour of serving as one of the two fully armoured horsemen escorting the remains of King Richard III, from the battlefield at Bosworth to their final resting place in Leicester Cathedral. Toby is Curator of Arms and Armour at the Wallace Collection in London and an internationally-acknowledged authority on Medieval and Renaissance weapons. He is the author of numerous books on the subject of arms and armour, including Masterpieces of European Arms and Armour at the Wallace Collection (2011; Apollo Magazine Book of the Year 2012); The Noble Art of the Sword: Fashion and Fencing in Renaissance Europe 1520-1630, ex. cat. (2012); Armour of the English Knight 1400-1450 (2015; Military History Monthly Illustrated Book of the Year 2017); and most recently Arms and Armour of the Medieval Joust (2018). Toby also appears regularly on television, most recently on A Stitch in Time (2018; BBC4); as presenter and armour advisor on Richard III: The New Evidence (2014; C4), and as the writer and presenter of Metalworks: The Knight's Tale (2012; BBC4) Followed by ‘Welcome Back ‘ Tea and Cake Photo: The lecturer is one of the knights in armour. Reinterment cortege of King Richard III Digital-Designs Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 . 8 JUNE 2023AGM RICHARD BURNIP Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers in London How the two great Queens of Crime brought the metropolis to life in the 1920s and 30s and how Hercule Poirot and Lord Peter Wimsey found a home there. Both authors chronicled the rapidly-changing London of the 1920s and ‘30s, writing in the same genre but in radically different ways. They also had very particular views on where their characters should live and work; a revealing investigation in itself. Although Sayers gave up detective fiction, in Christie’s case, far from remaining fixed in one period throughout her long career, she charted the changes she witnessed, with her customary skill and insight, in later works such as Endless Night and At Bertram’s Hotel. Lunch with wine will be laid on for the event. 1 MAY 2023 DOMINIC RILEY The Bible as Cultural Artefact The Bible is the most frequently printed book in history, and yet rarely are the actual physical books themselves ever considered. In this lecture, Dominic will talk about the extraordinary range of typographical, structural and decorative variations that have been employed in this most ordinary, everyday book. Taken together these remarkable books tell the story of the evolution of book production over the past four centuries. Theatre from Garrick to the Victorians - Study Day 26th April 2023, 2.00pm - 4.30pm Lecturer: Giles Ramsay Giles Ramsay is an independent theatre producer and director and a well-known speaker. In these 2 lectures he will discuss the rise of the actor managers such as David Garrick, the perfection of the comedy of manners, through to the melodrama, music hall and other enthusiasm of the Victorian age of innovation. Venue: Great Hale Village Hall, near Sleaford NG34 9HL Price: £30 for 2 lectures with tea and a cake Contact: Anna Maxey - annamaxey@btinternet.com 13 APRIL 2023 COLIN DAVIES Zaha Hadid, architectural superstar. Dame Zaha Hadid died on March 31 st 2016 at age of 65. Architectural historians of the future will surely recognise her as one of the most important architects of the early 21st century. She was born in Iraq and her reputation was global, but she made Britain her home. This lecture tells the story of her career from the visionary projects of the 1980s, through the years of frustration when her designs were considered unbuildable, to the prolific crop of successful projects built all over the world in the last decade of her life. 9 MARCH 2023 SHIRLEY SMITH Isabella d’Este, collector and patron of art: by fair means or foul Isabella d’Este, Marchioness of Mantua, has been accused of being less than honest in her methods of acquiring her precious antiques, yet she became renowned as one of the greatest patrons of art in the early 16th century despite the fact that, unlike her male counterparts, it was not deemed fitting for a woman to commission vast buildings, decorated with magnificent fresco cycles. So how did this remarkable lady achieve this renown and how did she overcome the strictures of her gender and of her often somewhat limited purse? 9 FEBRUARY 2023 SOPHIE MATTHEWS Music in Art (plays her instruments to demonstrate) So many of our historical references for musical instruments can be found in works of art. Not only can these windows into the past show us what the instruments looked like but also the social context in which they would have been played. Music and different instruments also play a strong role within symbolism in art. Sophie explores the instruments in selected works and then gives live demonstrations on replicas of the instruments depicted. We hope to have canapés and fizz before the lecture 8 DECEMBER 2022 PETER MEDHURST Robed in Dreadful Majesty- music, poetry, and traditions of the Advent season It is not known exactly when Advent was first acknowledged as part of the Church’s calendar, but it appears to be a tradition that was started sometime in the late 5th century. Etymologically, Advent is derived from the Latin adventus – coming, arrival - and for many people today, as in the past, it is a time for reflection and spiritual preparation for the birth of Christ on 25th December. Over the centuries Advent has attracted many customs and traditions, and has also inspired a wide range of fine prose and poetry, as well as some first class music. The lecture follows the ever-evolving traditions of Advent and samples a range of inspired poetry and music. PROGRAMME CHANGE NOVEMBER 10TH Due to threatened transport strikes and personal circumstances of the lecturer, we have postponed Karin Fernald's lecture on Landseer next week, and plan to re- schedule it for next season. Instead Guy de la Bedoyere, a well-known historian living locally, will give a lecture entitled PHAROAHS OF THE SUN : HOW EGYPT'S DESPOTS AND DREAMERS DROVE THE RISE AND FALL OF TUTANKHAMUN'S DYNASTY. 2022 marks the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, but this lecture will focus on the art and monuments with regard to the light they show on life and society in Egypt's Eighteenth Dynasty, placing royal imagery in an historical context. Guy de la Bedoyere is an historian well-known for his frequent appearances on Channel 4's Time Team and for his books on Roman and ancient history. His book on Tutankhamun's dynasty has just been published in the BBC History Magazine, and he has just - literally - returned from Egypt with numerous fresh photographs to include in the talk. This lecture will be hot off the press. 13 OCTOBER 2022 10.00am JACKY KLEIN: Women Impressionists At a time when women were frowned upon for being out in public without a guardian, when they weren’t allowed into the bars and cafes that male artists could frequent, and when serious art was still seen as ‘men’s work’, this lecture looks at the daring women who braved social stigma and fought against the odds to become some of the most important and sensitive of the Impressionist painters. From Berthe Morisot – one of the founding members of the Impressionist movement – and the American painter Mary Cassatt to the lesser-known Marie Bracquemond and Eva Gonzalès – we explore how these women artists made Impressionism their own. How did their subject-matter, painting styles and attitudes differ from their male counterparts? And why – despite many of them being hugely successful and critically admired during their lifetimes – were they until so recently written out of the history books? Visit NATIONAL HORSE RACING MUSEUM - NEWMARKET TUESDAY OCTOBER 18th 2022 We are planning to follow this study afternoon with an outing by coach to visit the National Horse-racing Museum in Newmarket. This museum of the social history of horse-racing shares a five-acre site with the Packard Galleries of British Sporting Art in Palace House and with the home of Retraining of Racehorses where you can meet former racehorses. Click here for the booking form and further details for the trip Study Afternoon Wednesday 28th September 2022 2pm to 4:30pm TREASURES OF THE TURF Christopher Garibaldi This study afternoon will comprise two lectures (with a break for tea) covering the history of horse-racing from the late 17th century until the present day, examining it through its associated cultural materials, such as paintings, archive material and decorative arts objects. CHRISTOPHER GARIBALDI was Director at Palace House, Newmarket (The National Heritage Centre for Horse-racing and Sporting Art) from 2010 -19. He has also been Senior Curator and Assistant Keeper of Art at Norwich Castle Museum and has catalogued the royal silver collections at Buckingham palace and Windsor Castle. 8 SEPTEMBER 2022 SARAH BURLES: Lord Fitzwilliam and his Bequest to Cambridge The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge was founded on the death of Richard, 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam in 1816, five years after the Dulwich Picture Gallery and eight years before the National Gallery in London. His bequest included paintings, drawings, prints, medieval manuscripts and books and, in addition, a sum of money to build “a good substantial museum repository for the increase of learning”. Who was Lord Fitzwilliam? How did he acquire his extensive collection? What prompted him to leave it to the University of Cambridge and why was Napoleon partly responsible for the founding of one of the great regional museums? These, and many other questions, will be answered in a lecture that will also discuss some of the key works in Lord Fitzwilliam’s bequest. 9th June 2022 Felicity Herring James Barry RA and his niece Dr James Barry James Barry RA was an Irish painter who died on 22 February 1806. Following his death his niece Margaret Bulkley disguised herself as a man, took on the name of James Barry and went to Edinburgh University to train to be a doctor. After qualifying Dr James Barry joined the army as a doctor and served in South Africa for 12 years, other postings followed to the West Indies, Malta, Corfu and Canada. She went to Crimea and met Florence Nightingale. In South Africa Dr Barry performed the first caesarean in the British Empire in which both mother and baby survived. She maintained her disguise all her life and her true identity was only discovered after her death when her body was being prepared for burial. Click here to find out more about Dr James Barry 12 May 2022 Rosamund Bartlett Tchaikowsky, Chekhov and Levitan Tchaikovsky was one of the first people to perceive Chekhov’s genius, and the admiration was mutual. The two became friends, aware they were kindred spirits. This lecture will discuss the elegiac and lyrical quality of their work, along with that of Isaak Levitan, who was Russia’s greatest landscape painter, and Chekhov’s best friend. Together their music, writing and painting provide a compelling and moving evocation of the autumnal atmosphere of late Imperial Russia. 21 April 2022 Angela Findlay The Other Side, Counter Memorials - Germany's post WW2 culture of Apology and Atonement In the context of our World War centenaries, anniversaries and the current debate about statues and monuments, the subject of this talk is hugely relevant. In this country, relatively little is known about Germany’s complex post-WW2 process of ‘coming to terms with’ the atrocities of its recent past and the counter memorial movement that started in the eighties and continues to this day. Germany’s very specific situation rendered all traditional concepts of monuments and memorials irrelevant and inappropriate. Instead of commemorating their own losses, German artists created art forms that responded to questions of apology and atonement: How does a nation of former persecutors mourn its victims? How do you remember what you would rather forget? The idea behind counter memorials is to keep the memories and lessons of the past alive in the individual psyches of the people. The results are extraordinary, brave and inspiring. With her Anglo-German roots, artistic background and years of research, Angela is in an ideal position to give insights into Germany’s fascinating and on-going efforts to find artistic forms to remember and apologise for one of history’s darkest periods. HALF STUDY DAY 16 March 2022 Sophie Oosterwijk The Breughel Family 10 March 2022 Albert Godetzky Durer: Life, Ego and Afterlife Already in his own day, Albrecht Dürer was a larger-than-life figure. Through the high quality of his woodcutting, and the facility with which printed culture could be disseminated, Dürer became an international success. Not a stranger to a mode of self-fashioning that would sit comfortably in today’s social media channels, Dürer crafted a lasting legacy for his art through his prints, paintings, and copious writing. Yet, the words he wrote - as much as the images he invented - reveal a man in profound search of his identity, especially at a time when social and religious values were in radical flux. This lecture will trace the artist’s origins in his goldsmith father’s workshop in Nuremberg, his ambitious travels in Italy and subsequent patronage by the Habsburgs. 10 February 2022 Shauna Isaac Art of the Steal - Nazi Looting during WW2 The Nazis looted over 20% of Western Art during World War II, confiscating art from Jewish families and emptying museums throughout Europe. This lecture will provide an overview of Nazi looting by setting the scene in Nazi Germany, discussing Hitler’s obsession with art and how the Monuments Men recovered art