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The Society and the city
Insights into the activity of the Royal Society and its Fellows on the streets of 17th century London and the many ways the Society and the city influenced the other.
Established in 1660, the life of the Royal Society has always been closely bound up with the life of the city. Members met in coffee-houses, taverns, bookseller’s shops and artisans’ workshops to discuss, debate and exchange knowledge. Scientific work was not confined to the laboratory; experiments were conducted in church buildings, and animal dissections and medical consultations in the coffee-houses.
In his talk, Dr Noah Moxham, recounted how the Society dealt with plague, fire and war that shook the city during the 17th century.