This Sunday includes the launch of two important events,  the official unveiling of a newly restored panel painting and the launch of an important new exhibition ‘Curious Connections’ which helps put into context the early history of the society.

‘Curious Connections’ – the first major exhibition and redisplay of the Johnson Room in more than 20 years. The exhibition will be open on Sunday, 21 August from 2-4pm, with a special members only talk and Q&A from 4-4:30. 

‘Curious Connections: Exploring the World in 18th Century Spalding’ explores the Society’s global networks during the first century of its existence. Combining artefacts, books, manuscripts and maps, the exhibition ranges from Africa and Asia, to South America and the Caribbean, to the Arctic regions of North America. Come learn about famous members such as the Senegalese imam and former slave Ayuba Suleiman Diallo and the infamous Manningham family of East India Company officers. Explore natural specimens that have survived in the collection for more than 300 years…despite being used for less than scientific purposes! Discover just what members found when they hurried to the marketplace to see the visiting ‘Unicorn’, and how they preserved its memory for posterity. Join us as we begin to uncover the ways in which the early SGS members navigated difficult topics such as slavery, warfare and colonial expansion, gathering information and discoveries from around the world while redefining their own place within it.

‘Curious Connections’ is a collaboration between Society officers and volunteers, and the University of Roehampton, and was funded by the UK Research Institutes through a Participatory Research Grant. Members of the project team will be in attendance at the launch to discuss the items on display and reveal the hidden stories behind them.