What we do at Burlington House
The Society’s premises are a national and international centre for antiquarian activity, made available for lectures, conferences, seminars and meetings to a wide range of allied bodies, including numerous voluntary bodies for whom Burlington House functions as their London base. The Society shares Burlington House with the Royal Academy of Arts and four other national Learned Societies – The Royal Society of Chemistry, The Geological Society, The Royal Astronomical Society and The Linnean Society – collectively forming a cultural campus in the heart of London. Together we organise a joint programme of events to promote public understanding of the heritage, the arts and the sciences and to explore the links between them.
Library
The Society’s library is the leading archaeological library in the UK and we encourage its use by researchers and students. The online catalogue is internationally available via the internet.
For enquiries to the Library please email [email protected] or telephone 020 7479 7084.
Museum
Our Museum is one of the oldest in the world, and our collections of antiquities, paintings, prints and manuscripts provide a resource for researchers around the world. The Society operates an active external loans programme, ensuring that the finest objects from our collections are accessible to museum and gallery visitors around the UK and abroad. We have made all of the Society’s paintings available to view online via the ArtUK website. You can also explore the paintings and objects at Burlington House through Smartify.
For enquiries about the museum collections please email [email protected] or telephone 020 7479 7088.
Research
The Society operates a number of annual grant programmes for both established researchers and early-career researchers focusing on the material past (archaeology, art history, architectural history, historic dress, etc.).
Publications
The Society’s periodicals, the Antiquaries Journal and Archaeologia, are international journals of record, used by students and scholars everywhere, as are the Society’s Research Reports, Occasional Papers and other publications such as monographs. Our policy is to publish works of reference that will be in use for decades.
Event Programmes
The Society runs an annual programme of events which includes our weekly lectures for Fellows and the public (October – April) at which new research is presented to our audiences. Additionally, the Society also has lunchtime lectures, hosts interdisciplinary research seminars and events, and welcomes group visits to see its Burlington House apartments and Library.
Conservation
Through the William and Jane Morris Fund the Society makes small grant awards to churches for conservation of ancient monuments.
Public Policy
The Society uses the expertise of its Fellows to influence public opinion and to engage in the formulation of public policy on the preservation, management and wider understanding of cultural heritage. It encourages informed debate and hosts conferences and seminars on relevant heritage topics.
Kelmscott Manor
The Society also owns Kelmscott Manor, the former Cotswold retreat of William Morris. Today, the Manor is a public museum and part of the Historic Houses Association. The Manor is open to visitors seasonally, allowing people from all over the world to see the internationally-important collection of Victorian art and craftsmanship, and to explore the property that William Morris described as ‘a Heaven on Earth.’
