Cain, Joe
- about
- study: undergraduate
- study: msc
- study: phd
- publications
- projects
- oral history workshop
- voices project
- film nights
- walking tours
- CHES
- Darwin
Head of Department, and
Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology
Prof Cain's research interests include the history of evolutionary studies, Darwin and Darwinism, history of science in London, history of natural history and natural history films.
Publications via UCL's IRIS service (link)
0207 679 3041 (UK)
+442076793041 (intl)
J.Cain@ucl.ac.uk
Twitter: @profjoecain
UCL location (map)
Follow me on Academia.edu
Joe's walking tours
This page supports walking tours provided by Dr Joe Cain.
Visiting a place conveys something no secondhand description can. London is rich with sites relating to the history of science, especially evolution, Darwnism, natural history, and empire. These walking tours have been developed for university courses on these topics. The idea is to combine the sensory experience of a visit with a student's knowledge of the subject through texts.
Pedagogy of walking tours and site visits (link).
tour itineraries
| Monsters of Crystal Palace |
Half-day tour around Crystal Palace Park, focusing on the opening of the great Crystal Palace in 1854. Tour includes history of the park and gardens, with special interest given to the famous dinosaurs - more properly the "extinct animals" sculptures of Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins. This tour can be combined with a visit to Horniman Museum for a full-day. Extra costs: none.
|
| Darwin in London |
Half-day tour of central London locations associated with the life and work of Charles Darwin. Extra costs: none.
|
| Euston Arch in Bloomsbury |
Half-day tour in and around Euston main line rail station and the surrounding developments in Bloomsbury, including "new" St Pancras Parish Church, Tavistock Square and Euston Square. Emphasis is on the history of the famous Euston Arch, built in 1838 as part of the rail terminus for the London and Birmingham Railway, the first erminus in London. Extra costs: none. Related information.
|
| Clubland in Piccadilly |
Half-day tour in central London, focusing on the scientific societies of Burlington House and the gentelmanly society (clubs, clothes, and culture) of St James, Pall Mall, and Piccadilly. Includes visit to Fortnum and Mason. Extra costs: none.
|
| Down House |
Full-day tour focusing on Charles Darwin's home in Kent, including architecture, science, family life, and the surrounding village. Extra costs: entrance fee at Down House and transport to Down should be factored into budget.
|
| Maritime Greenwich |
Half-day or full-day of Greenwich, focusing on Greenwich as a naval centre and home for empirial expansion. Includes tour of former Naval College, Greenwich Observatory (home of the 0 meridian) and history of Greenwich Park and village. Visit to Queen's House and National Maritime Museum included. Tour uses theme of Captain James Cook's expeditions in the 18thC and HMS Beagle and Darwin in 19thC. Tour can begin with river cruise of Thames from either Tower Bridge or Westminster Pier. Extra costs: river cruise, if added.
|
| Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |
Full-day tour through Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, focusing on the Kew's history and the relation between natural history, economic botany, and empire as well as connections between basic and applied research. Includes visits to Kew's Museum of Economic Botany, Kew Palace, the garden's famous glasshouses, and tours of grounds. Extra costs: entrance to park and transport.
|
| Highgate Cemetery | Half-day guiding to/from Highgate Cemetery, including tour of East Cemetery and visits to the graves of Karl Marx, Herbert Spencer, George Elliot, Douglas Adams, and others. The Friends of Highgate Cemetery lead quite good tours of the spectacular West Cemetery at Highgate. They are the only ones allowed to lead such tours, so arrangements will be made for one of their guided tours. Extra costs: entrance fee and fee for Friend's tour. |
| Tentacles of Empire |
Half-day tour in the Docklands area of London, focusing on the Museum in Docklands, part of the Museum of London. Emphasis is on London as a port city and metropolis, a recipient of the empire's riches. Connections to London's history and growth through 18thC and 19thC. Extra costs: entrance to museum.
|
| Albertopolis |
Half-day tour in central London, in South Kensington, focusing on Prince Albert's mid-19thC promotion of science and technology. Includes Albert Memorial, site of the 1851 Great Exhibition, Royal Geographical Society, Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and other past/present cultural institutions in South Kensington area. (Tour focuses on exteriors, but visits into institutions can be accomodated in a full-day tour.) Tour concludes with a visit to Harrods Department Store in Knightsbridge. Extra costs: none.
|
| Oxford in the history of science |
Full-day tour in Oxford, focusing especially the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, key events in history of science occurring in Oxford, and relations between science and religion.
|
| Science on display at Natural History Museum |
Half-day tour at the Natural History Museum, London, focusing especially on the building's history, history of exihibits, and special exhibits.
|
.
Want a Guided Tour?
Joe leads tours for visiting University groups, societies and clubs, and other organisations. Contact him for further information.
In the past few years, Joe regularly leads tours for UCL BSc and MSc students. He also has led tours for visiting groups and colleagues from Michigan State University, Radford University, Virginia Tech, University of Maryland-College Park, Florida State University, the Society for the History of Natural History, and Friends of the Grant Museum. He also has advised writers and historians on history of science in London.
Page last modified on 18 jul 11 09:31 by Joe Cain
Professor Joe Cain
UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies
