Home from an exceptional week with Oxford Cultural Leaders #OCLResidential2025. Could not have asked for a more perfect set of trainers, activities, locations and colleagues. Now for the reflection, absorption and change to begin!

What a nice surprise to receive a review for ‘Looking for Longitude’ in The Scriblerians and the Kit-Kats, with thanks to Manushag Powell scholarlypublishingcollective.org/psup/scrible...

This is a great PhD opportunity for someone! I was lucky to do some work on Sarah Sophia’s coin collection in early days www.bl.uk/services/res...

#DoHoSuh at #tate is as visually beguiling as I expected from visitor’s posts but it’s also deeply compelling. Working with ‘fabric architecture’ he measures, rubs and records his domestic spaces, making you reflect on the fabric of space, place and memory … 1/2

Excited and humbled to have got a place on #OCLResidential2025 later this year. Looking forward to everything I can learn from my cohort and the Oxford Cultural Leaders team

‘Antiquities are helpfully ambiguous’. I hadn’t realised this context was why I’m enjoying #Andor so much!

What’s it really like curating a working collection? Watch my brilliant colleague Eloise Donnelly discussing historic furniture and decorative arts in the Lords Chamber

Lots of really useful things to ponder in this report on how GenZ engage with historic houses

A day at the Science Museum celebrating the life and legacy of Jim Bennett. A real joy to connect with history of science research for the day

Come and see what I and the team have been working on!

Had a rare moment of energy and clarity so finally pulled some career reflections into a blog that I shared with @bbkhistorical.bsky.social students recently

#OftheTree by #marshmallowlaserfeast newly installed at @rbgkew.bsky.social. A beautiful day, so many people pausing, being drawn in. Left me thinking how far technology can make us look differently at nature

We’re looking for new trustees at @oldoptheatre.bsky.social! Particularly if you can bring expertise in medical, commercial, fundraising or social inclusion, get in touch! oldoperatingtheatre.com/vacancies/

Well this is exciting post! Congratulations @atinybitwaring.bsky.social @rhiggitt.bsky.social Richard Dunn, Simon Schaffer, Alexi Baker. The #BoardofLongitude mark 2!

Gorgeous marbled papers by #TirzahGarwood at #DulwichPictureGallery. Really want to do a marbling course now!

Artist commission now open for proposals at Science Museum Group! I was excited to consult on this project for an artist to contribute to the new 'Tomorrow: The Bennett Gallery', which will explore how today's scientific discoveries are shaping our future.

#LuxMuralis at @stpaulscathedral.bsky.social Spectacle threaded with history, art and ideas. An inspiring way to spend an evening

Great job for somebody at Clockworks

Fab expanded materials library and stories from #instituteofmaking www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/materials-li...

UK Parliament has announced the six artists commissioned to record the Lying-in-State of Queen Elizabeth II. This has been a long but so fulfilling project to lead

Had some blog thoughts on collage after visits to #PeterKennard and #AnneDesmet shows

Best of 2024 blog is now up www.spoonsontrays.com/blog/best-of...

#Outofoffice on for two weeks. It’s been a busy, intense year. Focusing on family, friends and feasting for the coming days …

So proud of this brilliant team!

Fara Dabhoiwala on the #VandA portrait of Francis Williams - a masterclass on why studying portraits matters. I was lucky to be taught by this man at undergrad!

#MuseumofShadows 🙌🏻

For the next 3 weeks #Parliament is hosting ‘The Embarkation of Saint Ursula’ in St Stephen’s Hall. This is on loan from the #nationalgallery to mark the gallery’s foundation by Parliament 200 years ago. What a joy to work on bringing this painting to the Palace!

The advert for our Research Associate post in Victorian Cultural and Material History is now up on jobs.ac.uk - www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DKS158/r... Please spread the word!!!!

Disc with Strings (Moon),1969 by British sculptor Barbara Hepworth

Gosh I looked away from Bluesky for a few days and this place has really filled up! Welcome new followers, delighted the community on here is expanding

Hi folks. Please request an add/share/like to join the Material Culture starter pack! go.bsky.app/GARWutv

Reposting these this morning for those who were tucked up in bed last night - I’ll also go through and add those who’ve requested this morning 💪🏼 go.bsky.app/KNeAnRj

I'm trying to find my people on Bluesky so I put together at #starterpack of historians (academic and public) based in Britain. If you're out there and not on the list, please give me a shout! Conversely, if I have misidentified you as being in Britain, let me know. go.bsky.app/Fpw6Tvr

Some blog thoughts after a few days at the biennale

these wonderful images!

New blog post about what I learnt about museums and collecting in Stuttgart

Could only attend day 1 of the German Society for #C18 studies yesterday but @spoonsontrays.bsky.social keynote was terrific & it was fab catching up. I also got elected to the council of the society & look forward to serving as treasurer. 🙏🏻 Yeah for #museum representation in academic societies.

›Kunst und Handwerk. Die Techniken des 18. Jahrhunderts‹, internat. Tagung im #DLAMarbach & an der @unistuttgart.bsky.social (16.–18.9.), veranstaltet von @sandrarichterdla.bsky.social & @drkeichhorn.bsky.social. @spoonsontrays.bsky.social. @dfgpublic.bsky.social. www.dla-marbach.de/presse/press...

Looking forward to doing a keynote lecture for this later in the month. Feeling a bit rusty!

New (rare) blog post on why I’m inspired by the work of #TavaresStrachan

Fascinating from @lemoustier.bsky.social for #PioneerBroadcast on how Neanderthals can help us to think differently about alien life #holidayreading

The unexpected poetry of PhD acknowledgements science.anu.edu.au/news-events/... this is rather wonderful

Big thanks yo @bbkhistorical.bsky.social for appointing me an Honorary Research Fellow in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences from October. Looking forward to working with the students and making connections

New on the blog. Working through my obsession with Cesar Manrique developed on holiday to Lanzarote - essentially his total artwork from culture to landscape. www.spoonsontrays.com/blog/lanzaro...

I’ve pulled together the reviews so far of #LookingforLongitude. Would really love some more, especially looking for some #dighums engagement

Pretty pleased with this, thanks to #printquarterly #LookingforLongitude

This looks like a brilliant PhD project for someone to work with the #BritishLibrary

#WomeninRevolt, snuck in to educate myself and the babe on the last day. Such a different feel to a #Tate exhibition, filled almost entirely with women (and children) with their heads together, debating. A powerful tale of art rebelling, rejected and reexamined

#MuseumofShadows at and around #tateBritain

Thanks to Print Quarterly 🙌🏻