19 February 2019
The First Prize Medal for Science: the Origin of the Royal Society's Copley Medal
Organised jointly by:
SCI's London Group and the UCL Chemical Physical Society
UCL, London
This is a free event. No need to book.
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Synopsis
It has become common for exceptional achievements, including within science, to be rewarded with a prize medal. The ubiquity of prize medals for science today means that the history of the first, the Copley Medal, has been overlooked.
Rather than simply noting the exploits of famous winners - such as Franklin, Priestley and Herschel - this talk explores the creation of a novelty and the meaning of medals to the Royal Society's 18th-century fellows.
The scheme required an investment of time, money, thought and skill, and the creation of a design that borrowed from contemporary ideas about experimental philosophy, antiquarianism and Freemasonry. The Copley Medal did not arrive fully formed as a reward system, but accrued meaning and value from its associations.
Time: 17:45 for 18:15
Speakers
Dr Rebekah Higgitt
University of Kent
Venue and Contact
UCL
Department of Chemistry
University College London
20 Gordon Street
London, WC1H 0AJ
SCI Communications Team
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7598 1594
Email: communications@soci.org
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This is a FREE event. No need to book. Please check this page for any updates or changes before attending the event.
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Exhibition and Sponsorship
An exhibition will take place alongside the conference for companies and related organisations who may wish to exhibit. Please email conferences@soci.org for further information and prices. Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
