Blog

Armchair Explorations #1

(by Learn for Pleasure on 16th April 2020)

The Natural History Museum in London has provided virtual tours of some of its galleries. The museum’s beginnings were from the collection of Sir Hans Sloane which were housed in the British Museum in 1756. The collection grew over time and in 1864 there was a competition to design a building for the new museum. Construction of the new building started in 1873 and it was completed in 1880. The museum, then called the “British Museum (Natural History)”, opened in its new purpose built building in 1881.  It didn’t formally get its “Natural History Museum” name until 1992.

It has provided a Virtual Museum with nine self guided tours  for you to explore covering the blue whale, Hintze Hall (with audio guides by Sir David Attenborough), wildlife photographer of the year, balcony displays, Dippy the Diplodocus’ skull, illustrations from HMS Endeavour featuring works by Sydney Parkinson, library and archive digital collections, and collection highlights.

In some of the tours you can click and drag the image to look around, in a similar way to how you would look around in Google Street View. Take a look at “Hope” the blue whale skeleton (pictured here) – aptly named for these times, which is located in the Hintze Hall. As you’re looking around, can you spot Charles Darwin?

And when you’ve done exploring the museum remember that you can explore the natural and historical world some more with our archaeology, Darwin, environmental studies, hieroglyphs, and history and heritage courses.

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We are delighted to welcome Dr Helen Doe who is joining us as a Tutor.

(by Learn for Pleasure on 15th April 2020)

Dr Min Wild came late to learning herself, and then wondered on earth she’d been playing at before. She is most at home amongst the literature of the 18th century, and her doctoral dissertation concerned a popular magazine of 1750 – the Viz of its day, edited by the poet Christopher Smart and called The Midwife. Her book, Christopher Smart and Satire: Mary Midnight and the Midwife was published in March 2008 by Ashgate, and reviewed in the Times Literary Supplement.

Since she graduated she has been lecturing at a number of different institutions, including the University of Exeter’s School of English and Department of Lifelong Learning, and the Open University. The reading and learning and thinking go on: what she is most interested in is the tricky and productive conjunction between literature and philosophy. She has a grown-up daughter who sometimes makes her go to the beach though.

Course delivered by Min:

• Darwin and the Battle of Beliefs

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We are delighted to welcome Dr Helen Doe who is joining us as a Tutor.

(by Learn for Pleasure on 14th April 2020)

Helen began her working career in industry in the IT sector but a lifelong fascination with history led to her to the University of Exeter where she completed a masters degree with a dissertation on a smuggling business. She then completed her PhD with a thesis on Women in Maritime Business in the 19^th century. Since then she has been a part time lecturer at the University of Exeter in maritime business history, teaching both undergraduates and postgraduates. She has been teaching on-line courses for many years initially via the University of Exeter .

She has published extensively and among her books are The First Atlantic Liner and Enterprising Women in Shipping. She co-edited and contributed to the award winning The Maritime History of Cornwall. In 2015 she moved into a different period by publishing a best selling biography Fighter Pilot, a study of a WW2 Battle of Britain pilot.  Helen’s latest book is SS Great Britain: Brunel’s Ship, her Voyages, Passengers and Crew.

Helen is a Fellow of the Centre for Maritime Historical Studies, University of Exeter, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She is a member of the UK Government’s Council of Experts on National Historic Ships (these include HMS Victory, the Mary Rose, Cutty Sark and Warrior), a Trustee of the SS Great Britain and Vice Chairman of the British Commission for Maritime History.

Courses taught by Helen:

• Steaming Ahead: British Merchant Shipping c.1810-1914
• The Lost World of the Sailing Ships 1780-1880

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