Rebecca Penfold

Society of Antiquaries of London

The Society of Antiquaries is an educational charity that promotes the understanding of the human past and recognises distinction in this field through election to its Fellowship. Founded in 1707, the Society meets its remit through a wide-ranging programme of activities at Burlington House in London and at Kelmscott Manor – the inspirational retreat of William Morris – in the Cotswolds. It runs regular public, educational and academic events, lectures and exhibitions, gives grants for research and conservation, publishes books and journals on heritage topics and contributes to the formulation of public policy on the care of our historic environment and cultural property. Burlington House is a hub of discovery – home to over 40,000 objects, paintings, prints and drawings, as well as a world-renowned library of over 130,000 books and manuscripts. Our collections span many centuries of human history, from Neolithic stone tools to Tudor royal portraits, copies of the Magna Carta to illuminated manuscripts saved from the dissolution of the monasteries. The result of nearly 300 years of accumulation, the Society's collection has a unique role in making rare and valuable material accessible to professional scholars and the visiting public. The Society is a determinedly outward-facing charity, where enthusiasts meet experts from all over the world and ideas are shaped and discussed in our Library, lecture room and online.