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'Anglo-Saxon Art in the Round'

An introduction to the exhibition 'Anglo-Saxon Art in the Round' at The Fitzwilliam Museum (23 May - 7 September 2008), which explores the rich inventiveness of early medieval art through the medium of coins and ornamental metalwork. Mark Blackburn, Keeper of Coins and Medals at The Fitzwilliam Museum explores the artistic vibrancy of the Anglo-Saxon era, and provides a illustrated tour of the exhibition's highlights. (First Published: 16 May 2008)

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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'Art Works': Sessions for Young People at The Fitzwilliam Museum

A look at The Fitzwilliam Museum's 'Art Works' programme for young people aged 14-21. Education Officer Rachel Sinfield and local students discuss 'Source' and 'Head Space', the Museum's art sessions for young people, and discuss the challenge of encouraging younger visitors to museums. For more information on the Museum's sessions for Young People, visit http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/whatson/ (First Published: 22 Apr 2008)

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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'I Turned it into a Palace': Sir Sydney Cockerell and The Fitzwilliam Museum

Let curator Dr. Stella Panayotova be your guide to the exhibition 'I turned it into a palace': Sir Sydney Cockerell and The Fitzwilliam Museum in this behind-the-scenes introduction to the treasures on display, including the 14th-century Macclesfield Psalter, works by the Pre-Raphaelites, William Blake and Thomas Hardy. This podcast explores the stories behind many of these fascinating artworks, brought together for the first time in celebration of one of the most dynamic periods in the Fitzwilliam's history: the Directorship of Sir Sydney Cockerell from 1908 to 1937. (First Published: 25 Nov 2008)

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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'On the Shoulders of Giants': Portraits from the University of Cambridge

A behind-the-scenes introduction to The Fitzwilliam Museum's first-ever photographic exhibition, with photographer Howard Guest and curator Duncan Robinson. Several of the sitters for these portraits also discuss their personal experiences of being involved with the exhibition. (First Published: 06 Jun 2008)

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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'Painting the Sound of the Sea' - Maggi Hambling: The Wave

What motivates Maggi Hambling to create her huge sea paintings? The artist discusses her exhibition of wave portraits at the Fitzwilliam Museum, and reveals her enduring fascination with the North Sea by her Suffolk home.

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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'Who's the Artist?': Open Forum on contemporary sculpture at The Fitzwilliam Museum

When a sculptor employs a studio to produce their work, how does this affect our perception of them as an artist? This Open Forum panel discussion at The Fitzwilliam Museum debates the changing role of the contemporary sculptor, as well as ideas of quality, originality, authorship and authenticity.

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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1. Darwin and the Ancient Earth: Dinosaurs and the 'Deep Past' in the 19th-Century Imagination

Why was the young Darwin's fascination with geology so important for his later work? And why was prehistory so popular in early nineteenth-century Britain? A podcast with Professor Jim Secord, Director of the Darwin Correspondence Project and Professor of History and Philosophy of Science, to complement the exhibition 'Endless Forms' at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (16 June - 4 October 2009).

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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10. The Evolving Body: With Professor Randolph Nesse

Evolutionary physician Professor Randolph Nesse explores the idea of 'Darwin's eye', and discusses what evolution means for our bodies, our emotions and our behaviour - as well as the disturbing implications of this view of the world.

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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11. Darwin, Design and Christianity: With Professor John Brooke

John Brooke, former Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University, gives his take on the exhibition 'Endless Forms', and discusses the implications of Darwinism for religious accounts of creation and design in the natural world.

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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12. From 'Missing Link Mania' to Creationism.com: 150 Years of Popular Darwinism in Europe

Why was the idea of 'the missing link' so wildly popular in the later nineteenth century? And why did Darwin's public image differ so greatly across Europe? Dr. Peter Kjaergaard examines how Darwin's ideas have been communicated and miscommunicated over the past 150 years, from print translations to the internet - and with very different intentions.

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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13. The Predatory Ape: Sex, Simians and Society in Nineteenth-Century Europe

Dr. Gowan Dawson discusses the intriguing representation - and sexualisation - of apes in the nineteenth century, from pickled specimens on display to an eager public to images of marauding predators – and even lascivious lovers. (Please note: this podcast contains some sexually explicit images.)

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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14. Evolving Images: Race and Popular Darwinism in Nineteenth-Century Photography

Professor Elizabeth Edwards explores how the emerging mass medium of photography engaged with popular Darwinian ideas in the nineteenth century, and how notions of race, 'type' and 'hard science' collided with troubling results.

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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15. Between Apes and Angels: Representing the Darker Implications of Darwinism

Science writer Dr. Marek Kohn discusses the various artistic reactions to the bleaker side of evolutionary thinking, as presented in the exhibition 'Endless Forms'. Is nature a nuturing Earth Mother or a pitiless force? Is mankind on the side of the apes or the angels?

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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16. Struggle and Strikes: The 'Survival of the Fittest' in Art and Literature

Dame Gillian Beer discusses ideas of poverty, struggle and competition as explored in the painting 'On Strike' (1891), and examines how Darwinian notions of 'the survival of the fittest' also inspired female poets of the time.

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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2. Darwin in Cambridge: from Christ's College to the Beagle

Dr. John van Wyhe, Director of Darwin Online (darwin-online.org.uk), discusses Darwin's student days at Christ's College, Cambridge in the 1820s, and investigates the young naturalist's developing eye for visual observation - as well as debunking a few persistent Darwin myths. Also featured: how Darwin's rooms were restored and re-opened to the public.

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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3. The Roots of a Theory: How Plants Specimens Led a Young Darwin to Discovery

Plant specimens may seem an unlikely starting point for Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection - but, as Professor John Parker investigates in this podcast, the Cambridge botanist John Stevens Henslow proved a crucial mentor for the young naturalist. Find out how Darwin shipped his collections from the Beagle voyage back to Cambridge, and how these almost 200 year-old specimens can today give us a snapshot of long-extinct botanical life.

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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4. Uncovering our Origins: Monkeys, Apes and 'Primitive Man' - and how Darwin got it wrong

The Descent of Man would forever change the way we thought about ourselves and where we come from – but how accurate was Darwin in his ideas about human evolution? Professor Robert Foley, Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies explores how 19th-century society viewed ideas of 'early man', and reveals how far our knowledge has progressed since Darwin sketched his 'evolutionary tree'.

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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5. 'Flaunting It' - Sexual Selection and the Art of Courtship

What evolutionary purpose does beauty serve? And why does the idea of 'female mate choice' not hold true when it comes to primates and humans? From peacocks' tails to the kinds of sexual signals we can't even see, evolutionary biologist Professor Tim Clutton-Brock explores Darwin's theory of sexual selection.

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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6. A Tour of 'Endless Forms': With Sir Paul Nurse

Nobel Prize-winning biologist and Rockefeller University President Sir Paul Nurse takes a tour of the exhibition 'Endless Forms', introducing his personal highlights from a scientist's perspective. (An audio-only podcast from the 2009 Cambridge Darwin Festival.)

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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7. Evolving Philosophy: With Professor Philip Kitcher

Can Darwinian ideas of evolution and adaptation really explain why we are how we are? Philosopher of science Professor Philip Kitcher explores the insights - and pitfalls - that Darwinism can bring to philosophical discussions about human nature and behaviour. (An audio-only podcast from the 2009 Cambridge Darwin Festival.)

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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8. Darwin, Hooker and the Venus Flytraps: With Sir Peter Crane

Sir Peter Crane, Former Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, talks about the fascinating friendship between Darwin and the botanist Joseph Hooker. (An audio-only podcast from the 2009 Cambridge Darwin Festival.)

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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9. Humankind - A Troubling Future? With Lord Robert May

Lord Robert May, Former President of the Royal Society and UK Government Chief Advisor for Science explores the significance of Darwin and his 'unsolved problems' for the issues facing populations today, and how the nineteenth-century preoccupation with 'where we come from' has given way to a focus on our imminent - and worrying - future as a planet.

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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Behind the scenes of the 2010 Sculpture Promenade

Discover how the grounds of the Fitz were transformed for the second year running by this new display of contemporary sculpture. See behind-the-scenes photos and time-lapse footage showing how the Promenade was installed, and hear interviews with Museum Director Timothy Potts and the sculptor Helaine Blumenfeld, as well as featured sculptors Rob Ward, Angela Conner, Nick Turvey, Ann Christopher and Nick Hornby.

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Published: Thu, 01 Jan 1970

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Calligraphy Today

An interview with Dr Stella Panayotova, Keeper of Manuscripts and Printed Books at The Fitzwilliam Museum, about the first ever exhibition of the Museum's remarkable collection of contemporary calligraphy acquired in 2008.