The Hendrick's Autumn Lectures

The Hendrick's Autumn Lectures

09 October, 2009
by: Spoonfed Team

Hendrick's Gin are forever backing popular, if not slightly odd, events around London. So it comes as no surprise that in conjunction with The Last Tuesday Society, they present to us: The Hendrick's Autumn Lectures. All talks will be taking place at Viktor Wynd's Academy of Domestic Science (11 Mare Street, E8 4RP).

Throughout Autumn they will be hosting a series of interesting lectures by society intellectuals on topics ranging from the metaphysical and scientific to the down right strange. Previous subject matters have included 'Arabian Nights' and 'The Cult of the Clitoris', which should be a good indication of the wide range of topics that will be covered. The shop opens at 6pm, all lectures are £5 (tickets available here) and start promptly at 7pm.

13th October
The Two-headed Boy - The Tocci Brothers and other Dicephali by Jan Bondeson
'Dr.Bondeson will talk on bizarre beliefs, fears, and behaviors, plus two additional pieces on several unfortunate human anomalies--all serving as reminders of human gullibility, mendacity, and cruelty.'

20th October
Chloroform - The Quest for Oblivion - Linda Stratmann
'Its accidental discovery; taking the world by storm; how its aphrodisiac effects shocked the Victorians; its use in crime; how it changed history; and its final unmasking as mass-killer guaranteed not to send the audience to sleep.'

31st October
Aleister Crowley - John Hutchinson
'Often referred to as the "wickedest man alive," Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) had a shocking reputation. Stories abound of drugs, orgies, sacrificial ceremonies, and the tragic deaths of those who associated with him.'

10th November
The Atmosphere of Heaven - Mike Jay
'The Atmosphere of Heaven is a riveting account of the chaotic rise and fall of the [Pneumatic] Institution, and reveals for the first time its crucial influence on modern drug culture, attitudes toward objective and subjective knowledge, the development of anaesthetic surgery, and the birth of the Romantic movement.'

17th November
Whales - Philip Hoare
Winner of this year's Samuel Johnson prize, Philip Hoare will talk about his life long obsession with whales and the under water world they inhabit.

24th November
Hypochondria - Brian Dillon
'This a talk about mind and body, fear and hope, illness and imagination. It explores, in the stories of nine individuals, the relationship between mind and body as it is mediated by the experience, or simply the terror, of being ill.'

1st December
The Museum as Art Form - James Putnam
'James Putnam's book ‘Art and Artifact – The Museum as Medium’, just re-published by Thames & Hudson, surveys the interaction between contemporary artists and the museum.'

8th December
Syphilis - Ian Kelly
'Get something extra for Christmas with Ian Kelly's Illustrated talk on Syphilis 'Puppetry of The Penis has Nothing on Me' says Mr.Kelly. Whilst Sebastian Horsley will be on hand to discuss his real life experience of the disease and show the remnants of his diseased member to interested parties.'

15th December
Stephen Bayley on Why He Hates Christmas
'Stephen Bayley was once described as the second most intelligent man in Britain. This is controversial and very possibly untrue, but what is indisputable is that as the author of more than ten books, nearly thirty exhibition catalogues, countless articles, broadcasts and newspaper columns he is one of the world's best known commentators on modern culture.'

17th December
Rosicrucianism - Christopher MacIntosh
'The strange story of the Rosicrucians began in the early 17th century with what may have been a hoax, a prank or perhaps a deliberately created myth, when some mysterious documents appeared in Germany proclaiming the existence of a secret brotherhood, founded by one Christian Rosenkreuz. Whether the original brotherhood existed or not, the Rosicrucian legend has given rise to numerous neo-Rosicrucian groups and its cultural influence up to the present day has been considerable'.

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Spoonfed Team