The upcoming Polar Panoramas exhibition at the Polar Museum features the art of John Kelly, an artist who has undertaken extensive fieldwork in the polar regions. Combining drawing, painting, photomontage and audiovisual work with observation and historical research, Polar Panoramas offers a compelling comparison between the Arctic and Antarctic as places of both human endeavour and environmental encounter.
Learn about a range of queer stories and those who challenged gender expectations throughout history, from trans lichenologist Elke Mackenzie, to the deep love expressed by some expedition members for their companions, to artistic expressions of gender over long polar winters, to the surprising connection between Hunter & Palmers biscuits and the taboos around discussing homosexuality in the 20th century.
Important Information
Join author and cultural historian Ben Highmore, Professor of Cultural Studies at the University of Sussex, as he introduces ways of understanding the abstract painting that has defined Bowling’s practice since the late 1960s.
Explore a remarkable range of scientific instruments used to make sense of the world, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Discover objects from astronomy, navigation, surveying, drawing and calculation, including sundials, mathematical instruments, early electrical apparatus—and even a microscope once owned by Charles Darwin.
Plus, enjoy hands-on activities in the newly refurbished Learning Gallery, perfect for little ones — or prebook a Whipple Highlights guided tour. Afterwards, take home a treat from the Whipple gift shop to remember your visit.
What is an orrery? Why is the clock chiming 13? Why would you collect and display a set of plaster horses’ teeth, some green spectacles and several hundred pocket calculators?
Join us for a tour of the Whipple’s collection in 10 objects, featuring spectacular instruments, fascinating scientific stories, and links to some of Cambridge’s most famous names.
Meet at the reception point in the Main Gallery.
What is an orrery? Why is the clock chiming 13? Why would you collect and display a set of plaster horses’ teeth, some green spectacles and several hundred pocket calculators?
Join us for a tour of the Whipple’s collection in 10 objects, featuring spectacular instruments, fascinating scientific stories, and links to some of Cambridge’s most famous names.
Meet at the reception point in the Main Gallery.
Founded in 2010 by Louisa Denby, Vox Cantab is a flexible chamber choir consisting mainly of Cambridge University students and alumni, many of whom are current or former choral scholars. The choir undertake a variety of projects, aiming to present imaginative and high-quality performances of a wide range of music, often with a particular emphasis on bringing live music to individuals and communities who may not ordinarily be able to experience it.
What is an orrery? Why is the clock chiming 13? Why would you collect and display a set of plaster horses’ teeth, some green spectacles and several hundred pocket calculators?
Join us for a tour of the Whipple’s collection in 10 objects, featuring spectacular instruments, fascinating scientific stories, and links to some of Cambridge’s most famous names.
Meet at the reception point in the Main Gallery.
What is an orrery? Why is the clock chiming 13? Why would you collect and display a set of plaster horses’ teeth, some green spectacles and several hundred pocket calculators?
Join us for a tour of the Whipple’s collection in 10 objects, featuring spectacular instruments, fascinating scientific stories, and links to some of Cambridge’s most famous names.
Meet at the reception point in the Main Gallery.
Book your free tickets here!
This guided tour explores how teeth and smiles have been represented in art, from symbols depicting undesirability in pre-modern painting to today’s idealised 'toothy smile', revealing how the mouth carries powerful cultural meaning.
