Photos: Exhibition: Making History: Antiquaries in Britain
Thomas Rowlandson, "The Reception of a New Member in the Society of Antiquarians," 1782. (By permission of the Society of Antiquaries of London)
Thomas Underwood, "Drawing of the Ribchester helmet," 1798. (By permission of the Society of Antiquaries of London)
J.M.W. Turner, "Saint Augustine’s Gate, Canterbury," ca. 1793. (Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection)
“King Brutus” from Roll Chronicle (detail), showing descent of Henry VI (1422–1471) from Adam and Eve, mid-15th century, with additions of ca. 1665, illumination with colored inks and tints on vellum rolls. (By permission of the Society of Antiquaries of London)
Late Bronze Age shield from Beith, Ayrshire, ca. 1300–1100 bc. (By permission of the Society of Antiquaries of London)
"Magna Carta," after 1225. (By permission of the Society of Antiquaries of London)
Hans Eworth, "Mary I," 1554. (By permission of the Society of Antiquaries of London)
Edward Burne-Jones, “If Hope Were Not Heart Should Break,” from ceramic tiles featuring "The Legend of Good Wimmen," 1860s. (By permission of the Society of Antiquaries of London)
Richard Tongue, "Chamber Tomb of Pentre Ifan near Newport, Pembrokeshire," 1835. (By permission of the Society of Antiquaries of London)
An exhibition featuring historic objects from the Society of Antiquaries in London — a society for people concerned with the study of Britain’s past — will open at the Yale Center for British Art in February.
Titled “Making History: Antiquaries in Britain,” the exhibition will include more than 140 pieces, including works from the center and other collections at Yale. “Making History” will explore ways in which scholars have recorded, preserved, and interpreted history since the society was founded in 1707.
“The idea of Britain as a nation was promoted following the Act of Union between England and Scotland in 1707, and gave rise to a growing appreciation of British history and antiquities,” write the organizers of the exhibition. “The Society of Antiquaries, founded prior to national museums, libraries and galleries, was long regarded as the main repository in Britain for antiquities, drawings, rare books, manuscripts, and paintings.”
On view will be key loans from the society, including a copy of the Magna Carta from 1225 and the 12th-century Winton Domesday book. Maps, atlases, and works by Samuel Palmer, Edward Burne-Jones, and Augustus Welby Pugin from the Yale Center for British Art’s collections will also be on display.
“Making History: Antiquaries in Britain” will be open to the public Feb. 2-May 27 at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St. Visit the center’s website for hours and directions. Admission is free.
