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Although Mesopotamian civilisations had assembled texts, the ancient Greeks brought the idea of the universal book collection to its near-legendary consummation in the Library of Alexandria, which edited and housed thousands of papyrus rolls on every subject and attracted brilliant scholars from all over the ancient world. But there were many other libraries, serving also as scientific laboratories, public record offices, restaurants, mausoleums and even baths. This illustrated lecture investigates their history and the continuing influence on our modern world.
Founded in 1597 by Sir Thomas Gresham’s will, Gresham College is London’s first institute of higher education providing free public lectures.
130 free lectures delivered every year including subjects from the original 7 professorships: Astronomy, Divinity (Religion), Geometry (Maths), Law, Music, Physic (Medicine), and Rhetoric.
Archive of over 2,500 lectures you can watch on our website or YouTube channel.
All the lectures are free and will be live-streamed in 2021-22. To watch lectures live online, please register through the course webpage. The registration process is simple, free, and only requires an email address.
Tickets for in-person attendance at this event will be available two months in advance.
Gresham College was London’s first institute of higher education when it was founded in 1597 by Sir Thomas Gresham. Unusually for the time, Gresham lectures were free and given in both English and Latin – where most other higher education...