This heat has us considering whether the fashions of the Maeatae and the Caledonians (powerful tribes in Scotland during the Roman occupation of Britain), as depicted in the 'The Costume of the Original Inhabitants of the British Islands' (1851), would be a good option.

Did you know our Linda Parry Textile Research and Conservation Grants make awards of £500-£5,000 to churches, chapels & other places of UK worship for the research & conservation of textiles?! Next deadline is 31 August, apply now! www.sal.org.uk/what-we-do/g...

The 17th century saw a lot of cultural concern around eclipses, and what they may mean and portend. Nicholas Culpeper’s Catastrophe Magnatum is one of the texts which delves into this theme, looking at year of 1652 where there was an eclipse named 'Black Monday'.

The solar eclipse of 11 August 1645 (recorded in the Julian calendar format) was referred to in famed English astrologer William Lilly's publication, The Starry Messenger.

Recognise any of these London views? The Capon Album is made up of 16 watercolours of views in Westminster by William Capon (~1757-1827). He added notes on the buildings to his art, including their history & (in many cases) impending demolition, & comments on the weather & time of day when painted

Join us for a reading of Lapsare, a new play by playwright Cloud McDowell. Set in Burlington House, it imagines a speculative future where the Society’s home is turned into luxury apartments & a team of specialists work to repurpose a site once dedicated to knowledge. www.sal.org.uk/events/lapsa...

The Future of the Past: A Rehearsed Reading of Lapsare - Society of Antiquaries of London

Join us for a rehearsed reading of Lapsare, a new short play by playwright Cloud McDowell, followed by a conversation with Cloud about her residency at the Society, research, and creative process.

sal.org.uk

Called a double casket or cabinet, this 17th-century needlework casket is made of wood over which has been stretched a fairly course linen. The scenes and motifs have been worked in floss (untwisted) silks, the subject of which is the biblical story of Esther and King Ahasuerus.

While our events section is being fixed, why not take a look through our archive of lectures. From lectures about Danish warships to biscuit art, we've got a huge array of topics to explore. www.youtube.com/@SocAntiquar... The biscuit lecture, for reference: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr7p...

Edible Research: Exploring the Material Past through Biscuit Art by Dr Ella Hawkins

YouTube video by SocAntiquaries

youtube.com

The events section on our website is currently down, we're hoping to get it back up asap and you'll be able to check out our selection of autumn and winter events, beginning in September.

Have you heard of William Stukeley? William Stukeley (1687–1765) joined the Society of Antiquaries in 1717. The following year he was elected the Society’s first Secretary.

The Painted Chamber in the Palace at Westminster was regarded as one of the marvels of medieval Europe because of its magnificent decoration. Historians have debated whether this work was carried out between 1263 & 1272 under the patronage of Henry III, or later between 1292 & 1297 under Edward I.

This evocative view is of Breach Down, Derringstone, showing a large windmill looming over a group of barrows, one of which is being excavated. It was done by English architect and designer William Burges in 1842.

We have expert fire brigades to help us now, but how did London cope with fire in the past? Up to 1666, the quality of firefighting in London was poor. Despite fires being regular, there were no brigades & people didn’t give much thought to the dangers. This changed after the Great Fire of 1666.

We've now got our autumn events up on our website, featuring lectures covering a huge range of topics, open days and a conference on relics! Check out the lineup and see what takes your fancy! www.sal.org.uk/events/

These fragments of painted panelling (c.1515) were once part of a large frieze, depicting Saxon kings. An inscription on the panel of Athelstan makes it clear that the subject is the unification in AD 926/7 of the lesser kingdoms of Britain under Athelstan (reigning AD 925–40).

We've got a call for papers! Our annual Collections & Research Day presents the work of early career researchers and collections professionals. This year the event is inspired by our extensive Prints and Drawings collection. Got a topic you think would suit? www.sal.org.uk/2026/07/crd-...

Call for Papers - Lines of Enquiry: Graphic Arts & the Afterlives of the Material Past - Society of Antiquaries of London

A CfP for 'Lines of Enquiry: Graphic Arts and the Afterlives of the Material Past'.

sal.org.uk

As part of a master’s degree in Museums & Galleries in Education at UCL, Ruoyao Yang completed a placement at the Society. She was given a creative brief that combined her interest in fine art with her studies, and created a digital response.

Our beautiful St Etheldreda Panels are currently on loan to the Sainsbury Centre. Norwich for their exhibition 'Living by the Rule: Contemporary meets Medieval', which is on until 4 October. sainsburycentre.ac.uk/whats-on/liv...

Petticoat Wag: a #17thCentury #countrydance from Playford's Dancing Master, 1651 From a series of recordings of #earlymusic & #song associated with dress in #earlymodern England. Recorded with support from @continuoconnect.bsky.social @antiquaries.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=6110...

Petticoat Wag

YouTube video by Passamezzo

youtube.com

Did you know that the Rosetta Stone was once presented and held briefly at the Society? On 11 March 1802, it was displayed at the then premises of the Society at Somerset House during a meeting, ahead of its move to the British Museum.

The Barrow Diggers, by The Reverend James Douglas, is a humorous drawing of one of the earliest known depictions of barrow-digging. Barrow digging was a popular past time of local squires and parsons in the 18th and 19th centuries, where they excavated ancient burial mounds.

Join us for a free lecture next Tues at 1pm on Humfrey Wanley FSA! Wanley, one of the founders of the Society, was one of the most distinguished English manuscript scholars. 2026 is the tercentenary of his death & this lecture offers a commemoration of his achievements www.sal.org.uk/event/humfre...

Humfrey Wanley FSA & his Book of Specimens: A Tercentenary Lecture - Society of Antiquaries of London

Humfrey Wanley FSA, one of the founders of the Society of Antiquaries, was one of the most distinguished of English manuscript scholars. His Book of Specimens contains magnificent copies of Greek and ...

sal.org.uk

Scotland's First Warriors is now open at @ntlmuseumsscot.bsky.social until 16 May 2027! In their exhibition, you can explore the first signs of organised warfare, from the Neolithic to the Romans, through over 200 objects, including our Beith Shield, on loan for this exhibition!

John William Inchbold (1830–88) was an English painter born in Leeds, Yorkshire. Influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite style, this is Inchbold’s dramatic view of Stonehenge, which shows the landscape under a cloudy sky with the setting sun illuminating the stones.

How did the Georgians cool down? We get some clues in John Lewis's book 'The History and Antiquities of the Isle of Tenet in Kent' (1736).

Following the amber weather warning for extreme heat, will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday 24 June. This decision has been taken to ensure the safety of our staff and visitors. We will reopen as normal on Thursday 25 June.

It's the summer solstice and the longest day of the year! The prehistoric megalith Stonehenge was designed to align with the sun on the solstices. On the summer solstice, the sun rises behind the Heel Stone and its first rays shine into the centre of Stonehenge.

The Dept of Architecture & Urban Planning at Ghent University & Faculty of Architecture of @universitedeliege.bsky.social invite submissions for the conference on Architectural Salvage: Histories of Commerce and Guardianship, to be held in Ghent from 15–18 Sept 2027. architecturalsalvage.ugent.be/en

You may have seen on the news today about the sad death of the famous oak tree, Major Oak, in Sherwood Forest. According to local folklore, it was the shelter of Robin Hood and his Merry Men.

Classic Art London starts next week and as part of that you can join in events taking place at the Society! See below for details of the two events ⬇️