This summer I was lucky enough to be an intern at the Oxford History of Science Museum @hsmoxford.bsky.social Alongside cataloguing and public engagement activities, I wrote a blog post exploring the history of the microscope in ten objects. Great for anyone interested in the collections at HSM!

A history of the microscope in ten objects

Emily Whittingham, an intern at the Museum and PhD student in the history of microscopy, explores the history of the microscope in England from the 1600s to the present day.

hsm.ox.ac.uk

Just published this with Renaissance Studies! On furzes, thistles, and ‘perfect’ descriptions of parochial weeding techniques: doi.org/10.1111/rest...

A Natural History of ‘Annoyances’: Knowing Weeds and Weeding Knowledge in the Early Royal Society and its ‘Georgicall Committee’

Seventeenth-century virtuosi often figured themselves as epistemic weeders, grubbing up rank thickets of accumulated error. In this article, I argue that these metaphors were unnerved by the shifting...

doi.org

I'm looking forward to the second paper of this year's summer seminar series, co-organised by myself and @frankietaylor317.bsky.social. Sandra Liwanowska will share her research on Robert Plot and the medicinal value of English soil. 🪱 June 9th, at 13:00 (GMT). Tickets available via eventbrite!

Francis Taylor@frankietaylor317.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Delighted to have organised this as part of @northernenvhistory.bsky.social's summer seminar series– Sandra Liwanowska (University of Cambridge) will be talking on Plot, muck, and the local in Restoration natural history! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/humble-cla...

Thanks to everyone who contributed to our workshop back in April. For those who weren't able to make it, we've done a little write up on our blog: nehnetwork.wordpress.com/2026/05/10/n...

NEHN Annual Workshop April 2026: ‘Yuck?: Historical Approaches to Unwanted Non-Human Life’

In April 2026, scholars from across the UK and abroad came together at the University of York for the NEHN’s annual workshop, titled ‘Yuck?: Historical Approaches to Unwanted Non-Human Life’. Parti…

nehnetwork.wordpress.com

I'm delighted to welcome Kate Nankervis as our next speaker at the NEHN seminar series! ☁️ Join us online on Tuesday 12 May (13:00 GMT) to hear Kate talk about the histories of climate, clouds and meteorology. Book via eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/affective-... @womanofclouds.bsky.social

Affective Atmospheres and/or Romantic-Period Clouds

The Northern Environmental History Network welcomes Kate Nankervis (York) to speak about histories of climate, clouds and meteorology.

eventbrite.co.uk

Following the successes of the workshop, we are establishing a research network for scholars working on historical approaches to unwanted non-human life. If you would like to participate in this network, please sign up using the following google form: forms.gle/hZFkbbdoGjaK... 🌿 🦠 🐀 🐕

Research Network: Historical Approaches to Unwanted Non-human Life

Following a workshop convened by the Northern Environmental History Network, we are establishing a network for scholars who research historical approaches to unwanted non-human life. This includes pla...

forms.gle

Emily Whittingham@emily-whittingham.bsky.social · 5mo ago

It was a pleasure to co-convene a two day workshop on historical approaches to unwanted non-human life. It brought together researches from a range of periods and disciplines and fostered conversations on the challenges and opportunities of with working in this field. Many thanks to all involved!

It was a pleasure to co-convene a two day workshop on historical approaches to unwanted non-human life. It brought together researches from a range of periods and disciplines and fostered conversations on the challenges and opportunities of with working in this field. Many thanks to all involved!

DEADLINE EXTENDED to the 31 March 2026! Join our PGRs and ECRs in Montpellier this autumn to discuss the theme of 'Improvement, Degeneration, Stagnation' #skystorians #18thC 🗃️ #PGR #ECR #CFP

BSECS@bsecs.bsky.social · 8mo ago

You may only just have recovered from #BSECS2026, but our hardworking reps are already planning our #PGR #ECR conference, University of Montpellier Paul-Valery, 3-4 September 2026 on 'Improvement, Degeneration, Stagnation' Deadline for submissions: 13 March 2026 #skystorians #18thC 🗃️

Clare Bucknell's review of the Wright of Derby exhibition beautifully captures the tension between light and shadow. In my review I add: 'Wright’s paintings ... are pregnant with childish fancy; his manipulation of light embraces our joy in and fear of the unknown.'

Wright of Derby: From the Shadows (National Gallery) - BSECS

The silence of light and shadow dulls the chatter of Wright’s subjects, immobilising squabbling children and gesticulating lecturers into quiet, almost spectral forms.

bsecs.org.uk

London Review of Books@lrb.co.uk · 6mo ago

‘Joseph Wright of Derby’s contemporary viewers associated his night pieces with a kind of sublime unclarity, a glare or glitter that obscured as much as it illuminated.’ Clare Bucknell on the artist’s nocturne paintings. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

I'm delighted to share my review for the National Gallery's 'Wright of Derby' Exhibition has been published on the @bsecs.bsky.social criticks blog! The exhibition is open until the 10th of May and I'd thoroughly recommend it. To read why, follow the link below: www.bsecs.org.uk/criticks-rev...

Wright of Derby: From the Shadows (National Gallery) - BSECS

The silence of light and shadow dulls the chatter of Wright’s subjects, immobilising squabbling children and gesticulating lecturers into quiet, almost spectral forms.

bsecs.org.uk

I'm excited to share I've been selected as a PG Rep for @bsecs.bsky.social. I'm looking forward to joining the team, and for the postgrad events we will plan together!

You now have until the 15th of February to send in your applications for our upcoming workshop on historical approaches to the non-human, ran in collaboration with @northernenvhistory.bsky.social. Some fantastic applications in already, we look forward to reading yours! 🌿 🕷️ 🐀 🦠

Francis Taylor@frankietaylor317.bsky.social · 8mo ago

The CFP deadline for our upcoming workshop on 'unwanted non-human life', broadly conceived, here at York has been extended a couple of weeks. Do send in an application if it appeals to you, we've already got a great pair of keynotes lined up!

There's still just over two weeks left to apply to our workshop exploring historical approaches to non-human life. It will take place on 9-10th April 2026, and aims to bring together scholars across disciplinary divides. PGR and ECR support available thanks to the generosity of our sponsors!

Rotifers - very popular with Victorian amateur microscopists - as illustrated in John Clegg's Freshwater Life (1974)

George Hogg@georgehogg.bsky.social · 10mo ago

I'm delighted to share this CFP for our workshop on historical approaches to non-human life. Expect keynotes, collaborative discussions, and cake! Being on the organising team has been great fun, and I look forward to reading your submissions. Please get in touch if you have any questions.

My heartfelt thanks to the CSECS for inviting me to present at their annual conference. I particularly enjoyed sharing this description of an animalcule with a 'motion extremely swift like a jack of the lantern.' Very fitting for the spooky season! 🎃 🦠 @csecsscedhs.bsky.social

I had the amazing opportunity this week to visit Durham University and deliver my paper in their historic castle! 🏰 Thank you to the MEMSA team for organising the 'Illuminating Nature' conference, and for bringing this academic community together. @durhammemsa.bsky.social

Durham MEMSA@durhammemsa.bsky.social · last yr.

Simultaneously in the Castle, there are papers from Emily Whittingham, Maria Del Mar Yunis and Kenzie Scott in the panel ‘Poetry as Natural Philosophy: Reimagining Life and Death in Verse’

I enjoyed reading this piece by Josephine Koopman on the SHNH summer conference. It offers a wonderful summary of the presentations we heard, and teases out the shared themes our papers raised. Thank you Josephine! shnh.org.uk/the-sense-of... @sochistnathist.bsky.social

The Sense of Nature: SHNH Summer Meeting, June 2025 by Josephine Koopman - Society for the History of Natural History

SHNH Summer Meeting by Josephine Koopman, Researcher (Department of History, European University Institute) “The senses,” Michel de Montaigne wrote in 1588, “are the beginning and the end of human kno...

shnh.org.uk

I had a great time talking about the optics of microscopy at this year's SHNH conference! 🔬 I come away feeling enriched by the papers we heard and the conversations we shared. Thank you to @ellelarsson.bsky.social and @sochistnathist.bsky.social for organising such a fantastic conference!

SHNH@sochistnathist.bsky.social · last yr.

Here we go! 🎉 We've all gathered in Glasgow, and have a full few days lined up exploring and celebrating the intersection between our senses and natural history! From touch to temperature, it's sure to be fascinating 🪶🐌🐻‍❄️

I had a great time at the Feathers conference listening to some fascinating papers on early modern scribal culture and exploring a beautiful city. 🖋️ Thank you to @misswalsingham.bsky.social and the Feathers team for organising the conference and for inviting me to speak!

I'll be travelling to Leiden this week to talk about poetry and scribal cultures in seventeenth-century Oxford. Looking forward to exploring the city and seeing some early modern manuscripts!

Scribes and Inky Fingerprints: Collaborative and Mediated Authorship in Early Modern English Manuscripts

This three-day international conference hosted at Leiden University by the ERC Consolidator-funded FEATHERS project aims to bring together researchers working on early modern scribal culture and manus...

universiteitleiden.nl

I'm looking forward to discussing magnification and illumination at this year's SHNH conference! 🔍 ✨

SHNH@sochistnathist.bsky.social · last yr.

✨Booking is OPEN✨ Join us for our Summer Meeting in Glasgow on the theme A Sense of Nature! Two days of talking about history and nature, including museum tours 🥰 📅19-20 June 🏦Kelvin Hall, University of Glasgow Follow the link for the list of speakers and how to book 👇 shnh.org.uk/news/booking...