A BOTANICAL HISTORY: THE ASHMOLEAN & GARDEN MUSEUM
Sharing a Past in Plants
An Exclusive Event for Members of the Ashmolean
Booking is essential. Book below
Tea, coffee, and cakes will be served in the Headley Lecture Theatre from 2pm
With Emma House, curator at the Garden Museum in London
Join us for a special talk exploring the shared histories of two remarkable institutions.
Guest speaker Emma House, Curator at London’s Garden Museum, will trace the rich connections between the Ashmolean and the Garden Museum through the lens of the exhibition In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World.
It was thanks to the collections and gardens of John Tradescant the Elder (c. 1570-1638) and his son John Tradescant the Younger (1608-1662), that the original Garden Museum in London came into being. The Tradescant Collection as it became known, was later given to the University of Oxford by our founder, Elias Ashmole (1617-1692) and combined with an older University collection to become the Ashmolean Museum, which opened in 1683.
Left: The Tradescant Tomb next to the Garden Museum in London. Right: John Tradescant's portrait in the Ashmolean's collection and on show in the 'In Bloom' exhibition
From botanical knowledge to collecting practices, this talk reveals how plants have shaped museums, ideas, and cultural exchange across centuries.
This talk will be recorded and will be distributed to ticketholders following the event.
BOOKING
Tickets are for the £15 in-person event and £10 online
Tickets are only available to Members of the Ashmolean
Find out more about Ashmolean Membership: Become a Member
