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Katy Bunning

Katy Barrett

Curator of Art Collections

Dr Katy Barrett is Curator of Art Collections at the Science Museum, London. Previously, she was Curator of Art, pre-1800, at Royal Museums Greenwich and has held various posts at the Whipple Museum for the History of Science in Cambridge, the Natural History Museum, the British Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. She has higher degrees in History of Art and History of Science and is active on social media as @SpoonsonTrays. Katy has co-authored The Sun: One Thousand Years of Scientific Imagery, published Autumn 2018.

Author Articles

Colour photograph of Stephen Hawkings blackboard covered in doodles and grafitti
By Juan-Andres Leon

Stephen Hawking’s superspace and supergravity blackboard: an iconic artefact in the making

A graffitied blackboard has become the most charismatic object in Stephen Hawking’s office. This article describes why, and then argues that the blackboard is a microcosm of efforts in theoretical physics of the past generation that yielded both profound insight and disappointment.

Colour photograph of childrens toys in a sandbox
By Tim Snelson, Toni Booth, William Macauley, Annie Jamieson, Natasha McEnroe, Selina Hurley and Katie Dabin

Objects of the Mind: using film to explore the entangled histories of media and mental health

This article explores a recent project, co-investigated by University of East Anglia and the Science Museum Group (SMG), which used film (old movies and new digital films) to tell novel stories about and across the SMG’s medical and media collections.

Colour photograph of a Watkins Electric Music Copicat Tape Delay machine circa 1961
By James Mansell, Annie Jamieson and Alexander De Little

Staging listening: new methods for engaging audiences with sound in museums

This article reports on the methodology and findings of the project ‘Sonic Futures: Collecting, Curating and Engaging with Sound at the National Science and Media Museum’. The article argues that engaging with listening audiences can diversify and enrich museum listening scenarios.
Map of the City of Manchester from 1876 showing commercial ecclesiastical or other public buildings in red and houses built since 1831 in green
By Abi Wilson

Philanthropy, industry and the city of Manchester: the impact of Sir Joseph Whitworth’s philanthropy on Manchester’s built environment

An exploration of the buildings philanthropically funded by Sir Joseph Whitworth’s legacy and their impact on the development of Manchester’s built environment.
Black and white photograph from 1910 showing the main building of Eskdalemuir Observatory
By Alexandra Rose

Seismographs at Eskdalemuir Observatory, 1908–1925: tools for rethinking the origins of international cooperation in seismology

Four seismographs now preserved in the collections of the Science Museum Group were originally installed at Eskdalemuir Observatory, Scotland, between 1908 and 1925. By attending to their provenance, this paper reconsiders the role of John Milne in forging international cooperation in seismology.
Colour photograph of a museum textiles gallery
By Pippi Carty-Hornsby

Preserving skills and knowledge in heritage machinery operations

A knowledge capture method for use with heritage machinery in museums and cultural venues to reduce the risk of knowledge and skills loss, including a case study involving the historic industrial textiles machinery at the Science and Industry Museum.
Colour photograph of a historical scientific measuring instrument
By Alexandra Rose

Science and the City: Introduction

This paper introduces the three articles in this issue relating to Science City 1550–1800: The Linbury Gallery, which opened at the Science Museum, London, in 2019. It discusses the rationale behind the gallery and its relationship to collections and research.
A board game entitled Science in Sport or the Pleasures of Astronomy
By Jane Desborough and Gloria Clifton

Science and the City: The role of women in the science city: London 1650–1800

This article traces the contributions made by women to the growth of the instrument-making trade and the emergence of a scientific culture in London between 1650 and 1800.
Set of sepia photographs of an Indian female leprosy patient
By Kristin Hussey and Martha Biggins

Clinical images, imperial power and Bhau Daji’s secret treatment for leprosy at the Royal College of Physicians Museum

This article explores a collection of medical photographs and illustrations from the Royal College of Physicians Museum showing patients treated for leprosy by Dr Bhau Daji in the mid-nineteenth century.
By Katy Barrett, Eleanor Crook, Marc Quinn and Studio Roso

Artist interviews – new art for Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries

This article brings artistic and curatorial voices to reflect on the meaning of four major new art commissions in Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries. Curator of Art Collections, Katy Barrett, talks with artists Eleanor Crook, Marc Quinn, and Studio Roso.
Colour photograph of a pair of aboriginal north american moccasins
By Tim Boon, Annie Jamieson, John Kannenberg, Aleks Kolkowski and James Mansell

‘Organising Sound’: how a research network might help structure an exhibition

By Katy Barrett

Tacita Dean: LANDSCAPE, PORTRAIT, STILL LIFE

By Laura Humphreys and Katy Barrett

Technologies of Romance: introduction