Visit to the Society of Antiquaries and the Geological Society in Burlington House, Piccadilly: Tuesday 16 July 2024

A guided tour of the material held by the Society of Antiquaries , arranged by Professor Fulford and led by the Director of Development, Dominic Wallis, combined with a visit to the adjacent Geological Society arranged by Professor Peter Worley, member of The Friends. Limited to 20 people, to make their own way there.

The Society of Antiquaries, which was set up in 1707, was accommodated by the government in Burlington House along with other learned societies in the 1870s. We will see the public rooms of library, council room and lecture room where the standout items on display are the 16th century royal portraits. There are historic items from the collections, including prints and drawings of historic buildings and monuments, in all the public spaces and the library holds an exceptional collection of early books and manuscripts including three (medieval) copies of Magna Carta. The highlight of the collection is the William Smith map (‘The Map that Changed the World’ according to the title of Simon Winchester’s book about it) Arrival at the Society of Antiquaries at 1100 am, followed by refreshments and the tour, ending at 12.15 pm. Members can then make their own arrangements for lunch, including the café at the adjacent Royal Academy. It is expected that the afternoon tour of the Geological Society will begin at 2.00 pm.

Details and booking arrangements will follow later