200 YEARS OF THE ATHENÆUM BUILDING

EXPANSION DARWIN AT THE ATHENÆUM

When John Foulston first prepared plans for the Athenæum, The great scientist, , was a regular visitor to he proposed to include a museum. In 1829 that concept The Athenæum in October and November 1831 ahead of his came fully to fruition on land behind the Lecture Hall, five-year voyage of discovery aboard HMS Beagle. where Edmund Lockyer had obtained extra space for the Darwin calibrated equipment in The Athenæum’s garden organisation. and attended a lecture by Snow Harris. Caretaker’s premises were provided below the museum and The Beagle was one of the first trial vessels for Snow Harris’ an ‘Elaboratory’ included. At that time there was nothing lightning conductors for ships system, and survived similar in , nor many in the country. The museum lightning strikes unharmed during Darwin’s voyage. was open to the public for a small charge. Darwin socialised with Snow In 1883 an appeal was launched to extend the building. The Harris and other members of Prince of Wales donated £50. the organisation during his stay This time a special Art Gallery was created to the west of in Plymouth. the lecture hall, the Museum was enlarged and an upstairs Darwin later became a member gallery provided plus basement offices. A new caretaker’s of the organisation and its cottage was also provided. members - including William Charles Darwin was a regular visitor to The Athenæum in From the completion of the first building in 1819, The Pengelly, Charles Hamilton In these photos of the original Lecture Hall at The late 1831. The great scientist calibrated equipment in The Athenæum contained a library. The purpose was to assist Smith, Charles Spence Bate, Athenæum, the officers’ rostrum under a bust of Minerva Athenæum’s garden, shown in the painting above and the members in their research, primarily for lectures. Albert Gunter and Baron remains, but the parliamentary style benches have been photograph below during the Great Blizzard of 1891 Avebury - formed part of replaced by chairs. Minerva was the Roman goddess of THE SAILOR KING Darwin’s 19th Century world wisdom and strategic warfare and the sponsor of arts, wide web of information and trade and strategy. From the second century BC onward, Sir , nicknamed Thunder & Lightning collection sources. the Romans equated her with the Greek goddess Athena Charles Darwin Harris, was a pioneering scientist, specialising in lightning conductors. He was also a member and later President of the Plymouth Institution. NEW ARRIVALS

Snow Harris’ lightning conductors system was fitted on the During the 19th century, the Institution strengthened British and Russian navies and on the Houses of Parliament through mergers with The Devon and Cornwall Natural and Buckingham Palace. History Society in 1851 and the Mechanics’ Institute in 1899.

In July 1827, the Duke of Clarence, in his role as Lord High By 1898 the Scientific Admiral, inspected the Royal Dockyard at Devonport. On Library had become more 17th July, the Duke, later to become the Sailor King, William important to the members IV, and his entourage came to The Athenæum to hear Snow than the Art Gallery and Harris lecture on the subject. hence the two were amalgamated. The scene of the Duke of Clarence’s visit to Soon afterwards, the £2,000 The Athenæum was brought by the Mechanics’ captured for posterity Institute would be put to NEXT DISPLAY Extentions were added to ...... when Woollcombe the creation of additional the building in the 19th commissioned John space, opened by the Earl and early 20th Centuries Ball to paint a picture of Morley in 1901. of the event. The THE BLITZ AND The extension included a large Reading Room, Lending As shown in the photographs, rooms were adorned with painting was finished in RISING FROM THE ASHES casts from Greek statuary, including the marbles acquired 1832 and now hangs in Library, Committee Rooms, Offices and Dark Rooms. Access by the from Lord Elgin the Athenæum Lounge was from Athenæum Street. The architect was A.S. Parker.