Hear, Here
Come along and Hear, Here at our monthly evening talks programme.
Talks will either be on-site or online. Please check carefully for details of each event, as these may vary.
Luke Howard Namer of Clouds:
In Conversation with Tam Joseph - Artist without Frontiers
- Wednesday 29 March 7.30-9pm (doors open 7pm)
Free
Tam Joseph has been fascinated by clouds since childhood, igniting his imagination through their various formations. As Tam says: ‘I would have liked to have had a large enough brush to have painted across the skies’. Come and hear Tam Joseph share his inspirations in person at Bruce Castle and view his stunning portrait of Luke Howard, the Namer of Clouds, currently exhibited. This is an incredible chance to discover more about Tam Joseph’s work and career as an artist without frontiers.
About the artist
Tam Joseph (b.1947) is a Dominica-born British painter. Described as a uniquely talented, multidimensional artist by art historian Eddie Chambers, Tam has contributed a number of memorable paintings that locate themselves at the centre of socio-political commentary, often making work that shocks as it amuses, amuses as it shocks. Typical in this regard are paintings for which Tam is universally loved and respected, such as 'Spirit of the Carnival' and 'UK School Report'.
Tam Joseph is represented by Felix & Spear Gallery.
Please book your free ticket for this in-person talk at the Museum via Eventbrite. All welcome.
For any queries, please email museum.services@haringey.gov.uk
Image courtesy: Felix & Spear Gallery
Luke Howard's 'Climate of London': The Work of an Observational Genius
By Professor Gerald Mills, University College Dublin
- Wednesday 26 April, 7.30-9pm (doors open 7pm)
Free
Weather watcher Luke Howard (1772-1864) is best known for his work on clouds, creating an international classification that remains in use to this day. What is not as well-known is Howard’s 'Climate of London', one of the first books on climatology and based on his daily observations of temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind made over 25 years at the Howard family home. His analyses of the data in Climate sees him as the first to detect and measure the urban heat island (UHI) effect, describing the fact that cities are invariably warmer than the countryside they replaced.
At the time of this work, London was perhaps the largest city in the world with a population of 1.3 million. Global population was about 1 billion, of which less than 10% lived in cities. Two hundred years later, the global population is over 7 billion and more than 50% live in cities. The impact of humans on climate, which Howard noted for London, is now known to be global in extent and due in large part to urbanisation and the resources that they consume.
In this talk Professor Gerald Mills will describe Howard’s insights into the climate of cities - still relevant today in the context of global climate change, heatwaves, and the urban heat island. Much of the modern efforts to improve the urban environment through greening strategies can be traced back to Howard’s 'Climate of London'. Gerald will pay special attention to Luke Howard's genius - for finding global truths from careful observations, with and without instruments.
The talk is organised by Tottenham Clouds with Bruce Castle Museum: www.tottenhamclouds.org.uk
Please book your free ticket for this in-person talk at the Museum via Eventbrite. All welcome.
For any queries, email either tottenhamclouds@gmail.com and/or museum.services@haringey.gov.uk
Image from the Royal Meteorological Society collection.