Stephen Astley: The Most Unstable and Unsubstantial Thing Possible at Hunterian Museum

This talk will trace the buildings of the RCS from 1800 when the College moved to Lincoln's Inn Fields until its partial destruction in 1941. It is a story of a growing building, from the site of one town house to five and of no less than five architects, which reveals the changing and sometimes conflicting ambitions and functions as well as the arrival of John Hunter's collection. The rapidly developing urban context will be examined along with the fast-changing roles and architecture of museums.