Lunchtime talks

Booking and admission

We are trialling a ticket system on our local history and space-related talks over the next few months. Please bear with us! Speak to a member of staff on our Welcome Desk or call us on 01752 304774 to put your name down and we will post your ticket(s) to you. Unreserved tickets will be available on the day although we cannot guarantee that any will remain! For all talks please turn up in plenty time if you wish to get a particular seat. For the enjoyment of all attendees we will not admit latecomers if the gallery is busy or full.

Summer 2009

Tuesday 7 July - Significant Silver
Come back down to earth and discover more about the Museum’s interesting silver collections with Assistant Keeper of Art, Alison Cooper.

Tuesday 14 July - Turner and the Sea
Take a look at J.M.W. Turner's depiction of naval and merchant ships from the 1800s to the 1840s, as sail gave way to steam, with Professor Sam Smiles, from the University of Plymouth.

The programme will then take a short break in August.

Autumn/winter 2009

Tickets for our autumn/winter talks will be available to book from 1 July.

September

Tuesday 15 September - Plymouth’s Bridges (ticketed)
Discover more about the road and rail crossings of the Plym and Tamar with Maritime Heritage Officer, Nigel Overton. From fords and ‘flying bridges’ to train and toll bridges – Nigel will summarise a variety of solutions and structures in connection with our ‘Super Structures’ exhibition (25 July to 17 October 2009).

Tuesday 22 September - Super Structures (ticketed)
A further talk held in connection with our ‘Super Structures’ exhibition (25 July to 17 October 2009). Full details to be confirmed.

Tuesday 29 September - The St Ives School of Artists: Bryan Pearce
Unearth some further fascinating insights about this group of avant garde 'Artists of St Ives and the South West', whose work is currently featured in our South Gallery exhibition. Speaker Janet Axten, who assisted the St Ives-born artist Bryan Pearce for nine years, talks about his life and his career which spanned nearly six decades. She will illustrate the story with a number of family photos, as well as images of the paintings, drawings and etchings that were recently bequeathed to the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro, following his death in 2007.

October

Tuesday 6 October - The Martin Brothers: Abstracted from Nature
Focus on the work of the four Martin Brothers - Walter, Wallace, Charles and Edwin who were active in London from 1873 to 1923 and whose work is displayed in our Atrium Gallery. Illustrated with examples of their distinctive stoneware from our decorative art collections, including the famous 'Wally Birds', Assistant Keeper of Art, Alison Cooper, will examine their work and how they were influenced by nature and natural forms.

Tuesday 13 October - Smeaton’s Narrative (ticketed)
Join Maritime Heritage Officer Nigel Overton for the first of two talks held to mark 250 years since the completion of John Smeaton’s lighthouse (16 October 1859). In this presentation, Nigel will dip into ‘Smeaton's Narrative’. Published by John Smeaton in the 1790s, this book contains descriptions of all the processes involved in evaluating, planning and building his pioneering lighthouse on the Eddystone.

Tuesday 20 October - Landmark Lighthouses (ticketed)
A further talk held in connection with the 250^th anniversary of Smeaton’s Tower (October 2009). Full details to be confirmed.

There will be no talk on Tuesday 27 October due to our half term activities.

November

Tuesday 3 November - Fee Fi Fo Fum
Discover more about giants, local folklore and the enigmatic legend of Plymouth’s Gogmagog with Visitor Services Manager, Mark Tosdevin.

Tuesday 10 November - Darwin’s ‘Beetle Mania’
Find out more about Darwin’s fascinating research into beetles with Dr David Bilton from the University of Plymouth’s School of Biological Sciences.

Tuesday 17 November - Darwin and the Inspiration for ‘Labelled’
Uncover the ideas behind ‘Labelled’, our beautiful half landing contemporary art installation by artist, Dail Behennah and how these relate to the great Charles Darwin’s work.

Tuesday 24 November - Have Darwin’s Ideas Changed the World?
Discover whether Darwin’s ideas really did change the world as Professor John Spicer from the University of Plymouth joins us on the 150^th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s renowned ‘On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life’.

December

Tuesday 1 December - Reynolds Revived:
From the Romantics to the Present (ticketed)
Explore the work of Plympton-born artist, Sir Joshua Reynolds with Dr Jenny Graham from the University of Plymouth, in connection with our ‘Sir Joshua Reynolds: The Acquisition of Genius’ exhibition (21 Nov 2009 to 20 Feb 2010). Supported by the Friends of Plymouth City Museums and Art Gallery.

Tuesday 8 December - A Christmas Carol (ticketed)
Following on from his successful performance of ‘Educating Charlie’ in Christmas 2008, join actor Lloyd Lee once more as he reads from Dickens’ own version of this well known tale, complete with sound effects and some interesting background information about how it came into being. Free festive refreshments will be served afterwards.

The programme will then take a short break for Christmas and New Year.

Spring 2010

Ticket arrangements for spring 2010 will be confirmed in due course.

January

Tuesday 12 January - Sir Joshua Reynolds and the West Country
Listen to Richard Stevens as he describes the local families in whose ancestral houses some of Reynolds' greatest masterpieces can still be seen today. Though he found fame and success in London, Reynolds never forgot his Devon roots, and many of his closest friends and clients were from the Plymouth area. Supported by the Friends of Plymouth City Museums and Art Gallery.

Tuesday 19 January - Reynolds and The Grand Tour
Join Professor Sam Smiles from the University of Plymouth as he discusses Sir Joshua Reynolds’ time in Italy and what it meant for his views on art. Supported by the Friends of Plymouth City Museums and Art Gallery.

Tuesday 26 January - Reynolds: The Collector
Discover the works and painters that famous artist, Sir Joshua Reynolds, had in his own collection, with Donato Esposito, who has researched this very topic for our current exhibition, ‘Sir Joshua Reynolds: The Acquisition of Genius’ (21 November 2009 to 20 February 2010). Supported by the Friends of Plymouth City Museums and Art Gallery.

February

Tuesday 2 February - Reynolds’ Non-European Portraits
Explore Sir Joshua Reynolds' portraits of non-Europeans, including Scyacust Ukah, The King of the Cherokees and Omai with Dr Stephanie Pratt from the University of Plymouth. Supported by the Friends of Plymouth City Museums and Art Gallery.

Tuesday 9 February - The Mummy Cases of Iyhat and Tairy:
A Tale of Two Cities
Trace the story of our Ancient Egyptian mummy-cases of the Priest Iyhat and the Lady Tairy. The cases have been in Plymouth since 1919 and Iyhat can currently be viewed in our ‘Bringing the World to Plymouth’ gallery. Dr Aidan Dodson, teacher of Egyptology at Bristol University, follows their journey from ancient Thebes, some 2,800 years ago, to 19th century England and unravels the complicated and mysterious way by which they found their way to Plymouth.

There will be no talk on 16 February due to our half term activities.

Tuesday 23 February - Titanic: The Return of a Dream
Back by popular demand! Hear the story of the Titanic like you’ve never heard it before in this highly acclaimed presentation by Andrew Lound. Hear the story of the ship - whose surviving crew members were brought ashore here in Plymouth in 1912 - told in dramatic fashion with slides, audio effects, music and props. Please note: this talk will run for 60 minutes.

March

Tuesday 2 March - The Marine Life of Plymouth Sound
Explore the unique marine environment of Plymouth Sound with Paul Naylor, as we begin our build up to 2010’s National Science and Engineering Week.

Tuesday 9 March - Sir John St. Aubyn
Staying with natural history, enjoy a preview of our ‘The Secret Life of a Collector’ exhibition which opens on Saturday 13 March and listen as Jess Shepherd who worked on our Sir John St. Aubyn research project, explores the life and work of this herbaria and mineral collector.

There will be no talk on 16 March due to our National Science and Engineering Week activities.

Tuesday 23 March - To the End of the Earth – Scott and the Antarctic
Experience the drama and courage of those who could meet a challenge against the odds, as Andrew Lound transports you to the frozen wastes of Antarctica for the story of Captain Scott’s Terra Nova expedition. Items from our Antarctic collection can currently be viewed in our ‘Plymouth: Port and Place’ gallery.

Tuesday 30 March - The Life and Times of Edward Wilson
98 years and a day since Captain Scott’s last diary entry (29 March 1912), join Isobel Williams, author of ‘With Scott to the Antarctic, Edward Wilson, Explorer, Naturalist, Artist’, to discover more about the life and times of the only officer to go on both British Antarctic Expeditions of 1901 and 1910.

The programme will then take a short break in April.

Details are subject to change. Keep checking this page for information as it's updated or sign-up to our email mailing list to receive advance information.

If you are making a special trip to the Museum for a lunchtime talk we strongly advise that you contact us in advance to double check arrangements.

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