Science and the Colonies; Hidden networks of Botanical science, Ecology and Eugenics at the end of Empire
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sussex
Department Name: Sch of Media, Arts and Humanities
Abstract
The twentieth century was a period which saw debates on ecology, cytology, genetics and eugenics in the West develop in new and interesting ways both positive and negative to understand the position of humans within the natural world and ultimately leading to an anti-racist science movement. This project explores the history of these debates in the context of Britain and India, the scientific networks that emerged and the contribution of neglected colonial scientists an important new field in the history of science, one which has gone unexplored in the context of these discussions. The debates explored here are particularly related to the movement known as the Modern Synthesis (1920-1960), which marked a period of heightened interdisciplinary knowledge exchange between the biological sciences, working now with a common Mendelian framework to solve, as they saw it, all of the mysteries of life. Through the new methodologies of cytology and genetics including genetic ecologies, concerns about population, extinction and the environment gained a more targeted approach. As, on a more sinister note, did concerns around racial purity and eugenics. In spite of J.S. Huxley's jubilant 1942 claim that the subjects of botany, genetics, ecology, and anthropology were irrevocably connected, these are subjects whose interdisciplinary engagements from the 1930s have still not been explored in a historical context. Neither have the connections between the remarkable individuals in these networks been analysed to understand the intellectual history of the movement towards an anti-racist science.
By recording the unrecognised contribution of Western trained colonial scientists including a remarkable Indian woman to these critical global debates of the mid-twentieth century we will enhance our understanding of the practices of science in this period by examining race, gender and science the role of indigenous knowledge and the cross fertilisation of ideas. The impact of these debates will be assessed both in Britain in the form of the humanist movement which continues to be relevant today and in post colonial India soon after independence in terms of the emergence of scientific humanism which continued to be one of India's foundational principles until recently. In this context we will also examine the new emerging debates in indigenous knowledge and analyse the reasons for the ultimate triumph of Western knowledge systems in post-colonial India. The practical applications of this project will allow our partner institution the John Innes Centre in Norwich, with whom we have co-constructed this proposal to understand their own history in terms of the contribution of non-British scientists to the history of genetics and the chequered role of expertise and authority in constructing this knowledge. This will feed into public understanding of science both in the U.K. and in India and improve peer learning among an interdisciplinary group of scholars. By taking this knowledge to new audiences including school children in Kolkata in the form of displays and a digital exhibition at the John Innes Centre and Sussex will further help disseminate this knowledge to a wider audience both in Britain and India. It is hoped that the findings of the research will uncover pathways to changing the culture of science to become more inclusive of its colonial past by recognising the contribution of colonial scientists to many of the field science, such as botany, zoology, geology, geography and palaeontology.
By recording the unrecognised contribution of Western trained colonial scientists including a remarkable Indian woman to these critical global debates of the mid-twentieth century we will enhance our understanding of the practices of science in this period by examining race, gender and science the role of indigenous knowledge and the cross fertilisation of ideas. The impact of these debates will be assessed both in Britain in the form of the humanist movement which continues to be relevant today and in post colonial India soon after independence in terms of the emergence of scientific humanism which continued to be one of India's foundational principles until recently. In this context we will also examine the new emerging debates in indigenous knowledge and analyse the reasons for the ultimate triumph of Western knowledge systems in post-colonial India. The practical applications of this project will allow our partner institution the John Innes Centre in Norwich, with whom we have co-constructed this proposal to understand their own history in terms of the contribution of non-British scientists to the history of genetics and the chequered role of expertise and authority in constructing this knowledge. This will feed into public understanding of science both in the U.K. and in India and improve peer learning among an interdisciplinary group of scholars. By taking this knowledge to new audiences including school children in Kolkata in the form of displays and a digital exhibition at the John Innes Centre and Sussex will further help disseminate this knowledge to a wider audience both in Britain and India. It is hoped that the findings of the research will uncover pathways to changing the culture of science to become more inclusive of its colonial past by recognising the contribution of colonial scientists to many of the field science, such as botany, zoology, geology, geography and palaeontology.
Publications
Damodaran V
(2022)
Special issue: Multiple worlds of the Adivasi. An introduction
in Modern Asian Studies
Kathayat G
(2022)
Protracted Indian monsoon droughts of the past millennium and their societal impacts.
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
| Title | Aims and Objectives of the Sholapur Eugenics Education Society |
| Description | Aims and Objectives of the Sholapur Eugenics Education Society Date: c. 1920s Source: Wellcome Collection Archives, Folder: SA/EUG/E.10 © Wellcome Collection Archives |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Aims_and_Objectives_of_the_Sholapur_Eugenics_Education_S... |
| Title | Aims and Objectives of the Sholapur Eugenics Education Society |
| Description | Aims and Objectives of the Sholapur Eugenics Education Society Date: c. 1920s Source: Wellcome Collection Archives, Folder: SA/EUG/E.10 © Wellcome Collection Archives |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Aims_and_Objectives_of_the_Sholapur_Eugenics_Education_S... |
| Title | C.D. Darlington's copy of the 1951 UNESCO statement on race |
| Description | C.D. Darlington's copy of the 1951 UNESCO statement on race. Darlington has highlighted areas with which he disagrees. Darlington was asked to write up a review of the statement, which was published by UNESCO. Darlington's main criticisms were that the statement said that all races were intellectually and emotionally equal, which he did not believe. Date: 1951 Source: The Bodleian Archives, Folder: MSS Darlington, E181 © Reproduced with permission of C.D. Darlington's family. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/C_D_Darlington_s_copy_of_the_1951_UNESCO_statement_on_ra... |
| Title | C.D. Darlington's copy of the 1951 UNESCO statement on race |
| Description | C.D. Darlington's copy of the 1951 UNESCO statement on race. Darlington has highlighted areas with which he disagrees. Darlington was asked to write up a review of the statement, which was published by UNESCO. Darlington's main criticisms were that the statement said that all races were intellectually and emotionally equal, which he did not believe. Date: 1951 Source: The Bodleian Archives, Folder: MSS Darlington, E181 © Reproduced with permission of C.D. Darlington's family. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/C_D_Darlington_s_copy_of_the_1951_UNESCO_statement_on_ra... |
| Title | Charles Galton Darwin (1887-1962) |
| Description | Charles Galton Darwin was an English physicist, a grandson of Charles Darwin, and was named in honour of both his grandfather and his father's cousin, Francis Galton. Like his namesake Francis Galton, Charles Galton Darwin was interested in eugenics and served as the president of the Eugenics Society from 1953 to 1959. Darwin was a physicist who made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics, a branch of physics that deals with phenomena on a very small scale, such as molecules, atoms, and subatomic particles. In this capacity, he attended both the 1938 and the 1947 Indian Science Congresses. He was also involved in the landmark ecology conference "Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth" held in 1955. This conference brought together scientists and thinkers from various disciplines to discuss the impact of human activity on the environment. It's seen as a foundational event in the development of the modern environmental movement. See Also:List of participants for 1955 Chicago conference, Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Charles_Galton_Darwin_1887-1962_/22887314 |
| Title | Charles Galton Darwin (1887-1962) |
| Description | Charles Galton Darwin was an English physicist, a grandson of Charles Darwin, and was named in honour of both his grandfather and his father's cousin, Francis Galton. Like his namesake Francis Galton, Charles Galton Darwin was interested in eugenics and served as the president of the Eugenics Society from 1953 to 1959. Darwin was a physicist who made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics, a branch of physics that deals with phenomena on a very small scale, such as molecules, atoms, and subatomic particles. In this capacity, he attended both the 1938 and the 1947 Indian Science Congresses. He was also involved in the landmark ecology conference "Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth" held in 1955. This conference brought together scientists and thinkers from various disciplines to discuss the impact of human activity on the environment. It's seen as a foundational event in the development of the modern environmental movement. See Also:List of participants for 1955 Chicago conference, Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Charles_Galton_Darwin_1887-1962_/22887314/1 |
| Title | Cyril Dean Darlington (1903-1981) |
| Description | Cyril Dean Darlington was an English biologist, best known for his contributions to the field of genetics and cytology, in particular his research on chromosomal crossover. Darlington's career began as an unpaid technician at the John Innes Horticultural Institution, where he first met influential geneticists, including J.B.S. Haldane and William Bateson researched into cytology. Darlington first gained widespread recognition in 1932 with the publication of his book "Recent Advances in Cytology," which initially caused controversy but later was widely accepted. In this book, he revealed the rich possibilities of evolution through the mechanisms of chromosomes, surpassing the understanding of single gene mutations. In 1953, Darlington became the Sherardian Professor of Botany at the University of Oxford, where he continued his research and established the Genetic Garden. Throughout his life, Darlington engaged in public debates and gave lectures on both genetics, botany, politics and later anthropology. He was known as a fierce antagonist to Lysenkoism, a pseudoscientific doctrine prominent in the Soviet Union that denounced Mendelian genetics. This ultimately led to the end of his friendship with Haldane. Darlington also expressed controversial views on race, asserting that differences in character and culture existed between races. His now controversial trilogy on human genetics and evolution, including "Genetics and Man" (1964) and "The Evolution of Man and Society" (1969), aimed to analyze human history through genetic laws, breeding patterns, and Darwinian evolution. Image Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL/1, © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. See also: Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 6 March (c. 1950) Photograph of Julian Huxley and Cyril Darlington at the John Innes Horticultural Institute Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology C.D. Darlington's copy of the 1951 UNESCO statement on race The John Innes Cytology Department of 1952 Photograph of Gathering at the John Innes Horticultural Institution in 1952 Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 25 September 1953 Letter from C.D. Darlington to Janaki Ammal, 18 January, 1960 Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 11 August (c. 1979) |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Cyril_Dean_Darlington_1903-1981_/22885973/2 |
| Title | Cyril Dean Darlington (1903-1981) |
| Description | Cyril Dean Darlington was an English biologist, best known for his contributions to the field of genetics and cytology, in particular his research on chromosomal crossover. Darlington's career began as an unpaid technician at the John Innes Horticultural Institution, where he first met influential geneticists, including J.B.S. Haldane and William Bateson researched into cytology. Darlington first gained widespread recognition in 1932 with the publication of his book "Recent Advances in Cytology," which initially caused controversy but later was widely accepted. In this book, he revealed the rich possibilities of evolution through the mechanisms of chromosomes, surpassing the understanding of single gene mutations. In 1953, Darlington became the Sherardian Professor of Botany at the University of Oxford, where he continued his research and established the Genetic Garden. Throughout his life, Darlington engaged in public debates and gave lectures on both genetics, botany, politics and later anthropology. He was known as a fierce antagonist to Lysenkoism, a pseudoscientific doctrine prominent in the Soviet Union that denounced Mendelian genetics. This ultimately led to the end of his friendship with Haldane. Darlington also expressed controversial views on race, asserting that differences in character and culture existed between races. His now controversial trilogy on human genetics and evolution, including "Genetics and Man" (1964) and "The Evolution of Man and Society" (1969), aimed to analyze human history through genetic laws, breeding patterns, and Darwinian evolution. Image Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL/1, © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. See also: Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 6 March (c. 1950) Photograph of Julian Huxley and Cyril Darlington at the John Innes Horticultural Institute Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology C.D. Darlington's copy of the 1951 UNESCO statement on race The John Innes Cytology Department of 1952 Photograph of Gathering at the John Innes Horticultural Institution in 1952 Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 25 September 1953 Letter from C.D. Darlington to Janaki Ammal, 18 January, 1960 Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 11 August (c. 1979) |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Cyril_Dean_Darlington_1903-1981_/22885973 |
| Title | Darwin's Diagram of the Galapagos Finches |
| Description | This exhibit presents Charles Darwin's notable diagram of Galapagos finches, featured in his book "The Voyage of the Beagle" The diagram, published in 1845, offers a visual representation of Darwin's observations and insights into the evolution of these finches. Darwin's diagram focuses on the beaks of the Galapagos finches, showcasing their diverse shapes and sizes. Each finch species displayed in the diagram represents a unique adaptation to its specific ecological niche on the Galapagos Islands. The diagram underscores the connection between the finches' beak structures and their specialized feeding behaviors. It highlights how the different beak adaptations allow each finch species to effectively exploit specific food sources available in their respective habitats. By depicting the diverse beak forms of Galapagos finches, Darwin's diagram showcases the remarkable adaptability of organisms and the role of natural selection in shaping their characteristics. Author: Charles Darwin Date: 1845 Source: Darwin, C. (1845). Journal of researches into the geology and natural history of the various countries visited by HMS Beagle round the world, under the Command of Capt. Fitz Roy. Henry Colburn. © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Darwin_s_Diagram_of_the_Galapagos_Finches/22829975/2 |
| Title | Darwin's Diagram of the Galapagos Finches |
| Description | This exhibit presents Charles Darwin's notable diagram of Galapagos finches, featured in his book "The Voyage of the Beagle" The diagram, published in 1845, offers a visual representation of Darwin's observations and insights into the evolution of these finches. Darwin's diagram focuses on the beaks of the Galapagos finches, showcasing their diverse shapes and sizes. Each finch species displayed in the diagram represents a unique adaptation to its specific ecological niche on the Galapagos Islands. The diagram underscores the connection between the finches' beak structures and their specialized feeding behaviors. It highlights how the different beak adaptations allow each finch species to effectively exploit specific food sources available in their respective habitats. By depicting the diverse beak forms of Galapagos finches, Darwin's diagram showcases the remarkable adaptability of organisms and the role of natural selection in shaping their characteristics. Author: Charles Darwin Date: 1845 Source: Darwin, C. (1845). Journal of researches into the geology and natural history of the various countries visited by HMS Beagle round the world, under the Command of Capt. Fitz Roy. Henry Colburn. © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Darwin_s_Diagram_of_the_Galapagos_Finches/22829975 |
| Title | Edavalath Kakkat Janaki Ammal (1897-1984) |
| Description | Edavaleth Kakkat Janaki Ammal, born in Tellicherry, Kerala, was a distinguished Indian botanist known for her contributions to the fields of botany, cytology and genetics. In 1925, she traveled to the University of Michigan in the United States as a Barbour Scholar and obtained her MSc degree. She further pursued her research at the University of Michigan, becoming the first Oriental Barbour Research Fellow and earning her DSc degree in 1931. Throughout her career, Janaki Ammal held various teaching and research positions both in India and abroad. Notably, she conducted pioneering cytological research on sugarcane and its related species during her time at the Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore. Her work on polyploidy and chromosome studies made significant contributions to the understanding of plant genetics. Janaki Ammal also worked at institutions such as the John Innes Horticultural Institution and the Royal Horticultural Society in London. In India, she served as the Director of the Central Botanical Laboratory of the Botanical Survey of India and held positions at the Regional Research Laboratory in Jammu. Janaki Ammal's research encompassed diverse plant species, including Saccharum, Solanum, Cymbopogon, Datura, Viburnum, Rhododendron, Dioscorea, and many more. Her studies in cytogenetics, polyploidy, and chromosome analysis yielded valuable insights into the speciation, evolution, and genetic composition of various plants. Janaki Ammal was also dedicated to environmental work and the conservation of India's rich plant biodiversity, including having a key role in the Save Silent Valley protests. Her research and expertise in botany played a crucial role in understanding and preserving the country's diverse flora. Image Source: Botanical Survey of India Archives, © Public Domain See also: Janaki Ammal and the Genetical Society Photograph of Janaki Ammal at Michigan Janaki Ammal with Indian relatives at the Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley Letter from Janaki Ammal to Norman Loftus Bor, 15 November 1949 Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 6 March (c. 1950) Photograph of Dr Janaki Ammal and other staff at RHS Garden Wisley, October 1950 Photograph of E.K. Janaki Ammal with a microscope Preface of Janaki Ammal's plan for reorganising the Botanical Survey of India Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 25 September 1953 List of participants for 1955 Chicago conference, Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth Letter from C.D. Darlington to Janaki Ammal, 18 January, 1960 Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 11 August (c. 1979) |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Edavalath_Kakkat_Janaki_Ammal_1897-1984_/22885076/2 |
| Title | Edavalath Kakkat Janaki Ammal (1897-1984) |
| Description | Edavaleth Kakkat Janaki Ammal, born in Tellicherry, Kerala, was a distinguished Indian botanist known for her contributions to the fields of botany, cytology and genetics. In 1925, she traveled to the University of Michigan in the United States as a Barbour Scholar and obtained her MSc degree. She further pursued her research at the University of Michigan, becoming the first Oriental Barbour Research Fellow and earning her DSc degree in 1931. Throughout her career, Janaki Ammal held various teaching and research positions both in India and abroad. Notably, she conducted pioneering cytological research on sugarcane and its related species during her time at the Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore. Her work on polyploidy and chromosome studies made significant contributions to the understanding of plant genetics. Janaki Ammal also worked at institutions such as the John Innes Horticultural Institution and the Royal Horticultural Society in London. In India, she served as the Director of the Central Botanical Laboratory of the Botanical Survey of India and held positions at the Regional Research Laboratory in Jammu. Janaki Ammal's research encompassed diverse plant species, including Saccharum, Solanum, Cymbopogon, Datura, Viburnum, Rhododendron, Dioscorea, and many more. Her studies in cytogenetics, polyploidy, and chromosome analysis yielded valuable insights into the speciation, evolution, and genetic composition of various plants. Janaki Ammal was also dedicated to environmental work and the conservation of India's rich plant biodiversity, including having a key role in the Save Silent Valley protests. Her research and expertise in botany played a crucial role in understanding and preserving the country's diverse flora. Image Source: Botanical Survey of India Archives, © Public Domain See also: Janaki Ammal and the Genetical Society Photograph of Janaki Ammal at Michigan Janaki Ammal with Indian relatives at the Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley Letter from Janaki Ammal to Norman Loftus Bor, 15 November 1949 Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 6 March (c. 1950) Photograph of Dr Janaki Ammal and other staff at RHS Garden Wisley, October 1950 Photograph of E.K. Janaki Ammal with a microscope Preface of Janaki Ammal's plan for reorganising the Botanical Survey of India Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 25 September 1953 List of participants for 1955 Chicago conference, Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth Letter from C.D. Darlington to Janaki Ammal, 18 January, 1960 Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 11 August (c. 1979) |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Edavalath_Kakkat_Janaki_Ammal_1897-1984_/22885076 |
| Title | Exhibition Brochure |
| Description | Original Brochure for the 2023 exhibition at the Indian Museum, Kolkata. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Exhibition_Brochure/23735520/1 |
| Title | Exhibition Brochure |
| Description | Original Brochure for the 2023 exhibition at the Indian Museum, Kolkata. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Exhibition_Brochure/23735520 |
| Title | Exhibition Walkthrough |
| Description | An audiovisual walkthrough of the original exhibition, at the Indian Museum, Kolkata in January 2023, along with interviews of some of the guests, filmed by Shibaji Bose and his team. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/media/Exhibition_Walkthrough/23559807/2 |
| Title | Exhibition Walkthrough |
| Description | An audiovisual walkthrough of the original exhibition, at the Indian Museum, Kolkata in January 2023, along with interviews of some of the guests, filmed by Shibaji Bose and his team. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/media/Exhibition_Walkthrough/23559807 |
| Title | Humayun Kabir (1906-1969) |
| Description | Humayun Kabir was an influential Indian educationist and politician. He dedicated his life to the field of education, contributing significantly to its development in India. After completing his education at Exeter College, Oxford, where he actively participated in various student activities, Kabir returned to India and became a lecturer at Andhra University. He later held several important positions, including Joint Education Adviser, Education Secretary, and Chairman of the University Grants Commission in Delhi. Kabir's commitment to education led to his appointment as the Minister of Education under the Prime Ministerships of Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri. Kabir's contributions extended beyond his political career. He was an accomplished writer and orator, known for his poetry, short stories, novels, and essays. He also served as the editor of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad's biography, "India Wins Freedom." Additionally, Kabir played a crucial role in drafting the UNESCO 1950 statement titled "The Race Question." Throughout his life, Humayun Kabir was a prominent figure in Indian education and politics, leaving behind a lasting impact on the intellectual and cultural landscape of the nation. See Also: Photograph of Humayun Kabir |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Humayun_Kabir_1906-1969_/22887434 |
| Title | Humayun Kabir (1906-1969) |
| Description | Humayun Kabir was an influential Indian educationist and politician. He dedicated his life to the field of education, contributing significantly to its development in India. After completing his education at Exeter College, Oxford, where he actively participated in various student activities, Kabir returned to India and became a lecturer at Andhra University. He later held several important positions, including Joint Education Adviser, Education Secretary, and Chairman of the University Grants Commission in Delhi. Kabir's commitment to education led to his appointment as the Minister of Education under the Prime Ministerships of Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri. Kabir's contributions extended beyond his political career. He was an accomplished writer and orator, known for his poetry, short stories, novels, and essays. He also served as the editor of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad's biography, "India Wins Freedom." Additionally, Kabir played a crucial role in drafting the UNESCO 1950 statement titled "The Race Question." Throughout his life, Humayun Kabir was a prominent figure in Indian education and politics, leaving behind a lasting impact on the intellectual and cultural landscape of the nation. See Also: Photograph of Humayun Kabir |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Humayun_Kabir_1906-1969_/22887434/2 |
| Title | Indian Science Congress |
| Description | The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is a prestigious scientific organization based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Founded in 1914, the association holds its annual meeting in the first week of January and boasts a membership of over 30,000 scientists. The inaugural Indian Science Congress took place at the Asiatic Society in Calcutta in 1914. In recent years, the congress has implemented a vetting process to ensure that speakers' presentations adhere to scientific rigor, following pseudoscientific speeches at the 2019 congress. The Indian Science Congress attracts distinguished scientists from India and abroad, including Nobel laureates, who participate and deliver talks during the event. The genesis of the ISCA can be attributed to the vision of two British chemists, Professor J. L. Simonsen and Professor P. S. MacMahon. Recognizing the potential for advancing scientific research in India, they conceived the idea of an annual meeting of researchers modeled after the British Association for the Advancement of Science. The objectives of the ISCA include promoting and advancing the cause of science in India, organizing an annual congress at a suitable location within the country, publishing proceedings and journals, managing funds for the promotion of science, and undertaking any other activities conducive to achieving these goals. The first Indian Science Congress held in 1914 saw the participation of 105 scientists from India and abroad who presented 35 papers across six different sections: Botany, Chemistry, Ethnography, Geology, Physics, and Zoology. Over the years, the congress has grown in stature, and notable sessions include the Silver Jubilee Session in 1938, which was presided over by Lord Rutherford of Nelson, and the 34th Annual Session in 1947, with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as the General President. From 1947 onwards, Nehru's initiative to invite representatives from foreign scientific societies and academies became a regular practice, further enriching the congress and fostering international collaboration. The Indian Science Congress continues to play a significant role in promoting scientific research, collaboration, and the dissemination of knowledge among scientists in India and abroad. It serves as a platform for scientific discourse, exchange of ideas, and the celebration of advancements in various fields of science. See also: Photograph of Jawaharlal Nehru at the 1949 Indian Science Congress Seating chart of New Year's Eve dinner organised by Nehru with Indian and international scientists, 1951 |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Indian_Science_Congress/22886864 |
| Title | Indian Science Congress |
| Description | The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is a prestigious scientific organization based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Founded in 1914, the association holds its annual meeting in the first week of January and boasts a membership of over 30,000 scientists. The inaugural Indian Science Congress took place at the Asiatic Society in Calcutta in 1914. In recent years, the congress has implemented a vetting process to ensure that speakers' presentations adhere to scientific rigor, following pseudoscientific speeches at the 2019 congress. The Indian Science Congress attracts distinguished scientists from India and abroad, including Nobel laureates, who participate and deliver talks during the event. The genesis of the ISCA can be attributed to the vision of two British chemists, Professor J. L. Simonsen and Professor P. S. MacMahon. Recognizing the potential for advancing scientific research in India, they conceived the idea of an annual meeting of researchers modeled after the British Association for the Advancement of Science. The objectives of the ISCA include promoting and advancing the cause of science in India, organizing an annual congress at a suitable location within the country, publishing proceedings and journals, managing funds for the promotion of science, and undertaking any other activities conducive to achieving these goals. The first Indian Science Congress held in 1914 saw the participation of 105 scientists from India and abroad who presented 35 papers across six different sections: Botany, Chemistry, Ethnography, Geology, Physics, and Zoology. Over the years, the congress has grown in stature, and notable sessions include the Silver Jubilee Session in 1938, which was presided over by Lord Rutherford of Nelson, and the 34th Annual Session in 1947, with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as the General President. From 1947 onwards, Nehru's initiative to invite representatives from foreign scientific societies and academies became a regular practice, further enriching the congress and fostering international collaboration. The Indian Science Congress continues to play a significant role in promoting scientific research, collaboration, and the dissemination of knowledge among scientists in India and abroad. It serves as a platform for scientific discourse, exchange of ideas, and the celebration of advancements in various fields of science. See also: Photograph of Jawaharlal Nehru at the 1949 Indian Science Congress Seating chart of New Year's Eve dinner organised by Nehru with Indian and international scientists, 1951 |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Indian_Science_Congress/22886864/1 |
| Title | J.B.S. Haldane at John Innes Horticultural Institute |
| Description | This photograph shows J.B.S. Haldane, during his time at the John Innes Horticultural Institution. J.B.S. Haldane, known for his pioneering work in population genetics and contributions to the understanding of evolution, worked at the John Innes Horticultural Institution from 1927 to 1937, where he first met Cyril Darlington. Person Featured: J.B.S. Haldane Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL/1 © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/J_B_S_Haldane_at_John_Innes_Horticultural_Institute/2283... |
| Title | J.B.S. Haldane at John Innes Horticultural Institute |
| Description | This photograph shows J.B.S. Haldane, during his time at the John Innes Horticultural Institution. J.B.S. Haldane, known for his pioneering work in population genetics and contributions to the understanding of evolution, worked at the John Innes Horticultural Institution from 1927 to 1937, where he first met Cyril Darlington. Person Featured: J.B.S. Haldane Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL/1 © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/J_B_S_Haldane_at_John_Innes_Horticultural_Institute/2283... |
| Title | Janaki Ammal and the Genetical Society |
| Description | Janaki Ammal and the Genetical Society dir. Susan Thomson The short film traces the biography of Janaki Ammal from a small town of Tellicherry in Kerala in 1897, to becoming an internationally recognised botanist and an eminent scientist at a national level, in the reformation of the BSI by the 1950s in Post-independence India. Ammal's family wasn't well-to-do, and she represented a lower caste in the caste hierarchy. As a result, throughout her career she came up against the Brahminical hierarchies in India and the patriarchy and racism of Western science in the form of two British biologists, C.D. Darlington and J.B.S. Haldane in the 1930s. As a colleague of hers attested, "Though cytology was her forte all through, her work embraced genetics, evolution, phytogeography and ethnobotany." She cowrote the Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants with C.D. Darlington in 1945 and refused to be brow-beaten into rewriting a second edition in 1949. She was a member of several international societies, including the Linnean Society. She had been a member of the Eugenics Society since 1931 and provided Darlington, who was on the right of the Eugenics movement, material for his works on Caste and tribes. These debates formed a key side of the Eugenics movement. The scientific landscape changed after the second world war as an anti-racist science movement grew, under the auspices of UNESCO, culminating in the 1951 Statement on Race, and scientists globally began to reject Eugenic ideas, including J.B.S. Haldane. While not directly involved in the UNESCO debate, as she was in India, having been recalled by Nehru to reform the BSI, she celebrated India's diverse cultures. Her work on Ethnobotany and her celebration of the Erula tribe pay tribute to this. Her forays in the field and her reforming of the BSI, against the "Kew Paradigm" and towards a more local understanding of Botany. She was the only Indian and the only woman to attend the landmark meeting on Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth, This meeting marked the beginnings of a new post-war environmentalism, that was both scholarly and popular, paving a way for the Popular environmentalism of the 1960s. The last decades of her life were spent embracing the Silent Valley Project, against the Hydroelectric Dam on the Kunthipuzha River. Along with another Indian stalwart M.S. Swaminathan, she made a strong case for preserving these forests. Her correspondence with Darlington lasted 5 decades and crossed continents, a testimony to a global scientific vision. She lived simply, never married and always wore a Sari, even during her trips to Russia. Most of her peers were men, white and brown. She may not have seen herself as a feminist, but she certainly practiced feminism through her independent scientific thinking and being in the world of men. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Janaki_Ammal_and_the_Genetical_Society/22884806 |
| Title | Janaki Ammal and the Genetical Society |
| Description | Janaki Ammal and the Genetical Society dir. Susan Thomson The short film traces the biography of Janaki Ammal from a small town of Tellicherry in Kerala in 1897, to becoming an internationally recognised botanist and an eminent scientist at a national level, in the reformation of the BSI by the 1950s in Post-independence India. Ammal's family wasn't well-to-do, and she represented a lower caste in the caste hierarchy. As a result, throughout her career she came up against the Brahminical hierarchies in India and the patriarchy and racism of Western science in the form of two British biologists, C.D. Darlington and J.B.S. Haldane in the 1930s. As a colleague of hers attested, "Though cytology was her forte all through, her work embraced genetics, evolution, phytogeography and ethnobotany." She cowrote the Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants with C.D. Darlington in 1945 and refused to be brow-beaten into rewriting a second edition in 1949. She was a member of several international societies, including the Linnean Society. She had been a member of the Eugenics Society since 1931 and provided Darlington, who was on the right of the Eugenics movement, material for his works on Caste and tribes. These debates formed a key side of the Eugenics movement. The scientific landscape changed after the second world war as an anti-racist science movement grew, under the auspices of UNESCO, culminating in the 1951 Statement on Race, and scientists globally began to reject Eugenic ideas, including J.B.S. Haldane. While not directly involved in the UNESCO debate, as she was in India, having been recalled by Nehru to reform the BSI, she celebrated India's diverse cultures. Her work on Ethnobotany and her celebration of the Erula tribe pay tribute to this. Her forays in the field and her reforming of the BSI, against the "Kew Paradigm" and towards a more local understanding of Botany. She was the only Indian and the only woman to attend the landmark meeting on Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth, This meeting marked the beginnings of a new post-war environmentalism, that was both scholarly and popular, paving a way for the Popular environmentalism of the 1960s. The last decades of her life were spent embracing the Silent Valley Project, against the Hydroelectric Dam on the Kunthipuzha River. Along with another Indian stalwart M.S. Swaminathan, she made a strong case for preserving these forests. Her correspondence with Darlington lasted 5 decades and crossed continents, a testimony to a global scientific vision. She lived simply, never married and always wore a Sari, even during her trips to Russia. Most of her peers were men, white and brown. She may not have seen herself as a feminist, but she certainly practiced feminism through her independent scientific thinking and being in the world of men. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Janaki_Ammal_and_the_Genetical_Society/22884806/2 |
| Title | Janaki Ammal with Indian relatives at the Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley |
| Description | This photograph shows Janaki Ammal alongside visiting Indian relatives at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), Wisley. Janaki Ammal worked at the Royal Horticultural Society from 1946 to 1951. People Featured: E.K. Janaki Ammal Source: John Innes Centre © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Janaki_Ammal_with_Indian_relatives_at_the_Royal_Horticul... |
| Title | Janaki Ammal with Indian relatives at the Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley |
| Description | This photograph shows Janaki Ammal alongside visiting Indian relatives at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), Wisley. Janaki Ammal worked at the Royal Horticultural Society from 1946 to 1951. People Featured: E.K. Janaki Ammal Source: John Innes Centre © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Janaki_Ammal_with_Indian_relatives_at_the_Royal_Horticul... |
| Title | Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) |
| Description | Jawaharlal Nehru, was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist and a prominent leader of the Indian nationalist movement, at the forefront of the struggle for independence in the 1930s and 1940s. Following India's independence in 1947, he became the country's first Prime Minister, serving in this role for 16 years. Nehru was a advocate of parliamentary democracy, secularism, and scientific progress, exerting a profound influence on India's trajectory as a modern nation. Nehru's history of India, "The Discovery of India" (1946), achieved worldwide recognition, and his humanist vision contained within has become influential to global humanist movements. Born into a family deeply involved in the Indian nationalist movement, Nehru received his education in England at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge. Nehru gradually turned his attention to politics, eventually dedicating himself full-time to the cause. He joined the Indian National Congress and emerged as a leader within the progressive faction of the party in the 1920s. His ascent continued, gaining the support of M.K. Gandhi. As the Congress president in 1929, Nehru called for complete independence from British rule. Nehru ultimately became the interim Prime Minister of India in 1946 and, upon independence in 1947, he was sworn in as the country's first Prime Minister. Nehru embarked on an ambitious program of economic, social, and political reforms. He advocated for a pluralistic multi-party democracy and played a key role in the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement, a group of nations that did not align with the Cold War's ideological blocs. Image Source: Nehru Memorial Library, © Public Domain See also: Photograph of Jawaharlal Nehru at the 1949 Indian Science Congress Letter from Janaki Ammal to Norman Loftus Bor, 15 November 1949 Seating chart of New Year's Eve dinner organised by Nehru with Indian and international scientists, 1951 Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 25 September 1953 Jawaharlal Nehru profile in section 'Peace Begins in the Minds of Men' from UNESCO's The Courier journal |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Jawaharlal_Nehru_1889-1964_/22886579/2 |
| Title | Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) |
| Description | Jawaharlal Nehru, was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist and a prominent leader of the Indian nationalist movement, at the forefront of the struggle for independence in the 1930s and 1940s. Following India's independence in 1947, he became the country's first Prime Minister, serving in this role for 16 years. Nehru was a advocate of parliamentary democracy, secularism, and scientific progress, exerting a profound influence on India's trajectory as a modern nation. Nehru's history of India, "The Discovery of India" (1946), achieved worldwide recognition, and his humanist vision contained within has become influential to global humanist movements. Born into a family deeply involved in the Indian nationalist movement, Nehru received his education in England at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge. Nehru gradually turned his attention to politics, eventually dedicating himself full-time to the cause. He joined the Indian National Congress and emerged as a leader within the progressive faction of the party in the 1920s. His ascent continued, gaining the support of M.K. Gandhi. As the Congress president in 1929, Nehru called for complete independence from British rule. Nehru ultimately became the interim Prime Minister of India in 1946 and, upon independence in 1947, he was sworn in as the country's first Prime Minister. Nehru embarked on an ambitious program of economic, social, and political reforms. He advocated for a pluralistic multi-party democracy and played a key role in the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement, a group of nations that did not align with the Cold War's ideological blocs. Image Source: Nehru Memorial Library, © Public Domain See also: Photograph of Jawaharlal Nehru at the 1949 Indian Science Congress Letter from Janaki Ammal to Norman Loftus Bor, 15 November 1949 Seating chart of New Year's Eve dinner organised by Nehru with Indian and international scientists, 1951 Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 25 September 1953 Jawaharlal Nehru profile in section 'Peace Begins in the Minds of Men' from UNESCO's The Courier journal |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Jawaharlal_Nehru_1889-1964_/22886579 |
| Title | Jawaharlal Nehru Dinner Party Display |
| Description | As part of the 2023 exhibition, a display was installed to represent the seating chart exhibit. The display included some of the key figures present at the dinner party, including Jawaharlal Nehru, J.B.S. Haldane, Helen Spurway, S.N. Bose, S.P. Agharkar and Kalipada Biswas.(c) Images courtesy of Michael Rayner |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Jawaharlal_Nehru_Dinner_Party_Display/23735511 |
| Title | Jawaharlal Nehru Dinner Party Display |
| Description | As part of the 2023 exhibition, a display was installed to represent the seating chart exhibit. The display included some of the key figures present at the dinner party, including Jawaharlal Nehru, J.B.S. Haldane, Helen Spurway, S.N. Bose, S.P. Agharkar and Kalipada Biswas.(c) Images courtesy of Michael Rayner |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Jawaharlal_Nehru_Dinner_Party_Display/23735511/1 |
| Title | Jawaharlal Nehru profile in section 'Peace Begins in the Minds of Men' from UNESCO's The Courier journal |
| Description | Jawaharlal Nehru profile in section "Peace Begins in the Minds of Men" from UNESCO's The Courier journal. Nehru's views on education and science are taken from a speech given to UNESCO in 1962. Date: 1966 Source: The Courier, Vol. 19, 1966. © The Courier |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Jawaharlal_Nehru_profile_in_section_Peace_Begins_in_the_... |
| Title | Jawaharlal Nehru profile in section 'Peace Begins in the Minds of Men' from UNESCO's The Courier journal |
| Description | Jawaharlal Nehru profile in section "Peace Begins in the Minds of Men" from UNESCO's The Courier journal. Nehru's views on education and science are taken from a speech given to UNESCO in 1962. Date: 1966 Source: The Courier, Vol. 19, 1966. © The Courier |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Jawaharlal_Nehru_profile_in_section_Peace_Begins_in_the_... |
| Title | John Burdon Sanderson Haldane (1892-1964) |
| Description | John Burdon Sanderson Haldane, known as JBS Haldane, was a prominent British-Indian scientist who made significant contributions to genetics, evolutionary biology, and mathematics.Haldane was a key figure in the development of neo-Darwinism, utilizing innovative statistical methods in biology. He was renowned for his groundbreaking work on topics ranging from the chemical origin of life to gene mapping and the genetic basis of diseases like sickle-cell anemia. Haldane also proposed visionary ideas such as in vitro fertilization and the hydrogen economy. One of Haldane's notable achievements was the formulation of Haldane's rule, which explained the sterility observed in hybrids of different species. He was instrumental in establishing the connection between genetics and Darwinian evolution, laying the foundation for modern synthesis and population genetics. Haldane's research on abiogenesis led him to introduce the concept of the "primordial soup theory," which provided a framework for understanding the chemical origins of life. He also made significant contributions to human biology, coining terms like "clone" and "cloning," and was the first to demonstrate genetic linkage in mammals. Haldane was also known for his political and philosophical views. He identified as a socialist, Marxist, atheist, and secular humanist, which eventually led him to renounce his British citizenship and become a naturalized Indian citizen in 1961. Image Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL/1, © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. See also: J.B.S. Haldane at John Innes Horticultural Institute The 7th International Congress of Genetics Programme Programme for the 1948 International Congress of Genetics in Stockholm Seating chart of New Year's Eve dinner organised by Nehru with Indian and international scientists, 1951 Punch cartoon of J.B.S. Haldane in India Photograph of J.B.S. Haldane and P.C. Mahalanobis in India |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/John_Burdon_Sanderson_Haldane_1892-1964_/22886315/2 |
| Title | John Burdon Sanderson Haldane (1892-1964) |
| Description | John Burdon Sanderson Haldane, known as JBS Haldane, was a prominent British-Indian scientist who made significant contributions to genetics, evolutionary biology, and mathematics.Haldane was a key figure in the development of neo-Darwinism, utilizing innovative statistical methods in biology. He was renowned for his groundbreaking work on topics ranging from the chemical origin of life to gene mapping and the genetic basis of diseases like sickle-cell anemia. Haldane also proposed visionary ideas such as in vitro fertilization and the hydrogen economy. One of Haldane's notable achievements was the formulation of Haldane's rule, which explained the sterility observed in hybrids of different species. He was instrumental in establishing the connection between genetics and Darwinian evolution, laying the foundation for modern synthesis and population genetics. Haldane's research on abiogenesis led him to introduce the concept of the "primordial soup theory," which provided a framework for understanding the chemical origins of life. He also made significant contributions to human biology, coining terms like "clone" and "cloning," and was the first to demonstrate genetic linkage in mammals. Haldane was also known for his political and philosophical views. He identified as a socialist, Marxist, atheist, and secular humanist, which eventually led him to renounce his British citizenship and become a naturalized Indian citizen in 1961. Image Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL/1, © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. See also: J.B.S. Haldane at John Innes Horticultural Institute The 7th International Congress of Genetics Programme Programme for the 1948 International Congress of Genetics in Stockholm Seating chart of New Year's Eve dinner organised by Nehru with Indian and international scientists, 1951 Punch cartoon of J.B.S. Haldane in India Photograph of J.B.S. Haldane and P.C. Mahalanobis in India |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/John_Burdon_Sanderson_Haldane_1892-1964_/22886315 |
| Title | John Innes Horticultural Institution |
| Description | The John Innes Horticultural Institution, later known as the John Innes Centre (JIC), is a renowned independent research and training institution specializing in plant and microbial science. Established in 1910 with funds bequeathed by John Innes, a merchant and philanthropist, the institution has played a pivotal role in advancing horticultural and agricultural research. Initially located in Merton Park, Surrey (now London Borough of Merton), the John Innes Horticultural Institution moved to Bayfordbury, Hertfordshire in 1945, and finally settled in its present site in Norwich, Norfolk in 1967. Throughout its history, the institution has been dedicated to scientific excellence and has contributed significantly to the understanding of plant biology and genetics. Notable staff and alumni associated with the institution include prominent scientists such as Florence Margaret Durham, Janaki Ammal, J. B. S. Haldane, and C.D. Darlington. Image Source: John Innes Centre Archives, © John Innes Archives, courtesy of the John Innes Foundation. See Also: Laboratory plan of John Innes Horticultural Institution Photograph of the John Innes Horticultural Institution at Merton Photograph of Basudev Roy at the John Innes Horticultural Institute J.B.S. Haldane at John Innes Horticultural Institute Julian Huxley and E.B. Ford at the John Innes Horticultural Institution Photograph of Julian Huxley and Cyril Darlington at the John Innes Horticultural Institute Photograph of Gathering at the John Innes Horticultural Institution in 1952 The John Innes Cytology Department of 1952 |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/John_Innes_Horticultural_Institution/22887227 |
| Title | John Innes Horticultural Institution |
| Description | The John Innes Horticultural Institution, later known as the John Innes Centre (JIC), is a renowned independent research and training institution specializing in plant and microbial science. Established in 1910 with funds bequeathed by John Innes, a merchant and philanthropist, the institution has played a pivotal role in advancing horticultural and agricultural research. Initially located in Merton Park, Surrey (now London Borough of Merton), the John Innes Horticultural Institution moved to Bayfordbury, Hertfordshire in 1945, and finally settled in its present site in Norwich, Norfolk in 1967. Throughout its history, the institution has been dedicated to scientific excellence and has contributed significantly to the understanding of plant biology and genetics. Notable staff and alumni associated with the institution include prominent scientists such as Florence Margaret Durham, Janaki Ammal, J. B. S. Haldane, and C.D. Darlington. Image Source: John Innes Centre Archives, © John Innes Archives, courtesy of the John Innes Foundation. See Also: Laboratory plan of John Innes Horticultural Institution Photograph of the John Innes Horticultural Institution at Merton Photograph of Basudev Roy at the John Innes Horticultural Institute J.B.S. Haldane at John Innes Horticultural Institute Julian Huxley and E.B. Ford at the John Innes Horticultural Institution Photograph of Julian Huxley and Cyril Darlington at the John Innes Horticultural Institute Photograph of Gathering at the John Innes Horticultural Institution in 1952 The John Innes Cytology Department of 1952 |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/John_Innes_Horticultural_Institution/22887227/2 |
| Title | Julian Huxley and E.B. Ford at the John Innes Horticultural Institution |
| Description | Julian Huxley and E.B. Ford at the John Innes Horticultural Institution, at the 103rd Genetical Society Meeting in 1950. E.B. Ford was a pioneer in the field of Ecological Genetics. Date: 1950 Persons Featured: Julian Huxley, E.B. Ford Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: P/AL/1 © John Innes Archives courtesy of the John Innes Foundation |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Julian_Huxley_and_E_B_Ford_at_the_John_Innes_Horticultur... |
| Title | Julian Huxley and E.B. Ford at the John Innes Horticultural Institution |
| Description | Julian Huxley and E.B. Ford at the John Innes Horticultural Institution, at the 103rd Genetical Society Meeting in 1950. E.B. Ford was a pioneer in the field of Ecological Genetics. Date: 1950 Persons Featured: Julian Huxley, E.B. Ford Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: P/AL/1 © John Innes Archives courtesy of the John Innes Foundation |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Julian_Huxley_and_E_B_Ford_at_the_John_Innes_Horticultur... |
| Title | Julian Sorell Huxley (1887-1975) |
| Description | Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS (22 June 1887 - 14 February 1975) was an English evolutionary biologist, eugenicist, and internationalist. He was a prominent figure in the mid-twentieth century modern synthesis and a proponent of natural selection. Huxley held several significant positions throughout his career, including secretary of the Zoological Society of London, the first Director of UNESCO, and a President of the British Humanist Association. Huxley was well-known for his ability to communicate science through books, articles, radio, and television. Julian Huxley was the grandson of Thomas Henry Huxley, a prominent advocate of evolution, and the brother of the author Aldous Huxley. Huxley's early interest in nature was nurtured by his grandfather, who taught him about biology and took him on visits to prominent scientists of the time. Huxley attended Eton College and later won a scholarship to study zoology at Balliol College, Oxford. His academic pursuits focused on embryology and protozoa, and he developed a keen interest in bird behavior, particularly their courtship habits. In 1912, Huxley accepted a position at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he established the Department of Biology. However, his tenure was interrupted by World War I, during which he served in the British Army Intelligence Corps. After the war, he continued his academic career at Oxford, becoming a Fellow at New College and later a professor at King's College London. In the 1920s, Huxley collaborated with H. G. Wells on The Science of Life and traveled to East Africa to advise the Colonial Office on education. His experiences in Africa and personal life, including a brief separation from his wife, influenced his perspectives on marriage and freedom. Huxley also explored the USSR and became involved in political and economic planning. In 1935, Huxley assumed the role of secretary to the Zoological Society of London, overseeing the operations of the London Zoo and Whipsnade Park. Although he introduced innovative changes, his tenure was marked by controversy and conflicts with the society's council. He was eventually removed from his position in 1941, amidst a public controversy. During World War II, Huxley embarked on a lecturing tour in the United States, advocating for American involvement in the war. He faced difficulty returning to the UK due to the war and extended his stay in America. Following his return, Huxley remained active in various scientific and social organizations, contributing to the fields of biology and humanism until his death in 1975. See Also: Julian Huxley and E.B. Ford at the John Innes Horticultural Institution Photograph of Julian Huxley and Cyril Darlington at the John Innes Horticultural Institute Photograph of Gathering at the John Innes Horticultural Institution in 1952 |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Julian_Sorell_Huxley_1887-1975_/22887188/2 |
| Title | Julian Sorell Huxley (1887-1975) |
| Description | Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS (22 June 1887 - 14 February 1975) was an English evolutionary biologist, eugenicist, and internationalist. He was a prominent figure in the mid-twentieth century modern synthesis and a proponent of natural selection. Huxley held several significant positions throughout his career, including secretary of the Zoological Society of London, the first Director of UNESCO, and a President of the British Humanist Association. Huxley was well-known for his ability to communicate science through books, articles, radio, and television. Julian Huxley was the grandson of Thomas Henry Huxley, a prominent advocate of evolution, and the brother of the author Aldous Huxley. Huxley's early interest in nature was nurtured by his grandfather, who taught him about biology and took him on visits to prominent scientists of the time. Huxley attended Eton College and later won a scholarship to study zoology at Balliol College, Oxford. His academic pursuits focused on embryology and protozoa, and he developed a keen interest in bird behavior, particularly their courtship habits. In 1912, Huxley accepted a position at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he established the Department of Biology. However, his tenure was interrupted by World War I, during which he served in the British Army Intelligence Corps. After the war, he continued his academic career at Oxford, becoming a Fellow at New College and later a professor at King's College London. In the 1920s, Huxley collaborated with H. G. Wells on The Science of Life and traveled to East Africa to advise the Colonial Office on education. His experiences in Africa and personal life, including a brief separation from his wife, influenced his perspectives on marriage and freedom. Huxley also explored the USSR and became involved in political and economic planning. In 1935, Huxley assumed the role of secretary to the Zoological Society of London, overseeing the operations of the London Zoo and Whipsnade Park. Although he introduced innovative changes, his tenure was marked by controversy and conflicts with the society's council. He was eventually removed from his position in 1941, amidst a public controversy. During World War II, Huxley embarked on a lecturing tour in the United States, advocating for American involvement in the war. He faced difficulty returning to the UK due to the war and extended his stay in America. Following his return, Huxley remained active in various scientific and social organizations, contributing to the fields of biology and humanism until his death in 1975. See Also: Julian Huxley and E.B. Ford at the John Innes Horticultural Institution Photograph of Julian Huxley and Cyril Darlington at the John Innes Horticultural Institute Photograph of Gathering at the John Innes Horticultural Institution in 1952 |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Julian_Sorell_Huxley_1887-1975_/22887188 |
| Title | Laboratory plan of John Innes Horticultural Institution |
| Description | This exhibit presents a laboratory plan of the John Innes Horticultural Institution from 1921, providing a glimpse into the inner workings of this nstitution dedicated to horticultural research. The detailed plan showcases the layout and design of the laboratory spaces, illustrating the scientific infrastructure and collaborative environment that facilitated discoveries in plant genetics and horticulture. Date: 1921 Source: John Innes Centre Archives © John Innes Archives, courtesy of the John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Laboratory_plan_of_John_Innes_Horticultural_Institution/... |
| Title | Laboratory plan of John Innes Horticultural Institution |
| Description | This exhibit presents a laboratory plan of the John Innes Horticultural Institution from 1921, providing a glimpse into the inner workings of this nstitution dedicated to horticultural research. The detailed plan showcases the layout and design of the laboratory spaces, illustrating the scientific infrastructure and collaborative environment that facilitated discoveries in plant genetics and horticulture. Date: 1921 Source: John Innes Centre Archives © John Innes Archives, courtesy of the John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Laboratory_plan_of_John_Innes_Horticultural_Institution/... |
| Title | Letter from C.D. Darlington to Janaki Ammal, 18 January, 1960 |
| Description | Letter from C.D. Darlington to Janaki Ammal. Darlington requests information on criminal castes, which he ultimately used for a section of his controversial trilogy of books, Genetics and Man (1953), The Evolution of Man and Society (1969) and the Little Universe of Man (1978). These books have subsequently received criticism for biological determinism, because of the unsubstantiated emphasis that they placed on biological causes of social behaviour. Author: C.D. Darlington Date: 18 January, 1960 Source: Bodleian Library Archives, Folder: MS DARLINGTON/J114 (C) Reproduced with Permission of C.D. Darlington's family |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Letter_from_C_D_Darlington_to_Janaki_Ammal_18_January_19... |
| Title | Letter from C.D. Darlington to Janaki Ammal, 18 January, 1960 |
| Description | Letter from C.D. Darlington to Janaki Ammal. Darlington requests information on criminal castes, which he ultimately used for a section of his controversial trilogy of books, Genetics and Man (1953), The Evolution of Man and Society (1969) and the Little Universe of Man (1978). These books have subsequently received criticism for biological determinism, because of the unsubstantiated emphasis that they placed on biological causes of social behaviour. Author: C.D. Darlington Date: 18 January, 1960 Source: Bodleian Library Archives, Folder: MS DARLINGTON/J114 (C) Reproduced with Permission of C.D. Darlington's family |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Letter_from_C_D_Darlington_to_Janaki_Ammal_18_January_19... |
| Title | Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 11 August (c. 1979) |
| Description | Facsimile of Letter from Janaki Ammal to Darlington, dated 11 August. Probably 1979. Janaki Ammal tells Darlington about the Save Silent Valley Campaign and about her involvement in the 1955 Chicago Conference on Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth. Darlington had a copy of the proceedings of this conference in his personal library, now held at John Innes Centre. Transcription: University of Madras Botany field Research Laboratory Madura Voyal Madras 602102 August 11th My Dear Cyril, Your letter of 3rd Aug reached me yesterday. I am very sad to get news of two deaths - your brother's and Pio's - perhaps my turn will be next. I was in Malabor for some days fighting a losing battle with the Kerala Govt. over the building of a dam across a river to form a lake of the famous "Silent Valley" the last remnant of the Tropical forest of Kerala. I am now an Advisor of the Ministry of Science and Technology of India (New Delhi). The Dept. of Forestry is controlled by the state and not the central Govt. and they are determined to have their own way. The result will be disastrous to the flora and fauna of the region and perhaps the whole of S. India - I am sending you a booklet about this and I want you to make it an international problem in Biology - the Kerala Govt. is out to make money by exterminating the rare species of plants and animals that are native to the silent valley (for the sake of a hydroelectric project). In your letter you asked me where the conference on "Man's role in changing the face of the Earth was held in 1955 - It was at Princeton and it was sponsored by the Wenner Gren foundation for Anthropological Research!! I was the only participant from India and I think I owe it to my Prof - H.H. Bartlett who was also there. No reprints of the papers were made - there were over 70 participants and we were treated royally by the Werner Gren foundation. I read your book (not wholly) and congratulate you. I think you have inherited your father's memory! Splendid. More in my next. With Salaams from EDVAALETH KAKKAT JANAKI-AMMAL Author: E.K. Janaki Ammal Date: 11 August (c.1979) Source: Bodleian Archives, Folder MSS Darlington, J116 © Bodleian Archives. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Letter_from_Janaki_Ammal_to_C_D_Darlington_11_August_c_1... |
| Title | Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 11 August (c. 1979) |
| Description | Facsimile of Letter from Janaki Ammal to Darlington, dated 11 August. Probably 1979. Janaki Ammal tells Darlington about the Save Silent Valley Campaign and about her involvement in the 1955 Chicago Conference on Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth. Darlington had a copy of the proceedings of this conference in his personal library, now held at John Innes Centre. Transcription: University of Madras Botany field Research Laboratory Madura Voyal Madras 602102 August 11th My Dear Cyril, Your letter of 3rd Aug reached me yesterday. I am very sad to get news of two deaths - your brother's and Pio's - perhaps my turn will be next. I was in Malabor for some days fighting a losing battle with the Kerala Govt. over the building of a dam across a river to form a lake of the famous "Silent Valley" the last remnant of the Tropical forest of Kerala. I am now an Advisor of the Ministry of Science and Technology of India (New Delhi). The Dept. of Forestry is controlled by the state and not the central Govt. and they are determined to have their own way. The result will be disastrous to the flora and fauna of the region and perhaps the whole of S. India - I am sending you a booklet about this and I want you to make it an international problem in Biology - the Kerala Govt. is out to make money by exterminating the rare species of plants and animals that are native to the silent valley (for the sake of a hydroelectric project). In your letter you asked me where the conference on "Man's role in changing the face of the Earth was held in 1955 - It was at Princeton and it was sponsored by the Wenner Gren foundation for Anthropological Research!! I was the only participant from India and I think I owe it to my Prof - H.H. Bartlett who was also there. No reprints of the papers were made - there were over 70 participants and we were treated royally by the Werner Gren foundation. I read your book (not wholly) and congratulate you. I think you have inherited your father's memory! Splendid. More in my next. With Salaams from EDVAALETH KAKKAT JANAKI-AMMAL Author: E.K. Janaki Ammal Date: 11 August (c.1979) Source: Bodleian Archives, Folder MSS Darlington, J116 © Bodleian Archives. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Letter_from_Janaki_Ammal_to_C_D_Darlington_11_August_c_1... |
| Title | Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 25 September 1953 |
| Description | Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, dated 25th September 1953. Janaki Ammal tells Darlington that her proposal to reorganise the BSI has been accepted. In spite of Nehru's confidence in her, pressure from the UK has meant that she was not appointed director of the BSI, so Nehru made her position as director of the Central Botanical Laboratory equal in power and pay to that of the Director of the BSI. Transcription: C/O The Ministry of Natural Resources and Scientific Research, New Delhi, Sept. 25th 1953 My Dear Cyril, The above ministry has accepted my scheme for the reorganisation of the Botanical Survey of India - with a few amendments - for purpose of the survey I have divided India into 5 phytogeographic units or circles (I wanted 6 but they cut off the central one which I have added to the Madras Circle!) each with its own herbarium and a cytotaxonomic laboratory!! There will be a central - or National Herbarium either at Calcutta - or if W. Bengal fails to give us the Sibpur Herb.- at Dehra Dun. Biswas has been fighting tooth and nail to keep the herbarium at Sibpur with himself as the director of the BSI. In my scheme there is provision for a Central Botanical Laboratory where the 'living' flora of India will be studied from an evolutionary and cytotaxnomic angle - I had placed this under the Director of the Bot. Survey. I hear now that it is to be co-ordinate with it - with a director of equal standing & salary as that of the Survey proper. And they have asked me to be the first Director of it!! I shall try and get the Universities to give up the study of "macrosporogenesis" and begin cytological and genetic survey of plant populations. I want to tell you that the "old fogies" of England were partly responsible for this - They did not wish me to be director of the Bot. Survey. Fearing I would be too unorthodox - so Nehru in his usual way has given me even better scope to practice my unorthodoxy in speculative botany. The P.M. is head of scientific research in India! He is a gem. I hope you are liking Oxford - Will Oxford like you? All the best. From Janaki Author: E.K. Janaki Ammal Date: 25 September 1953 Source: Bodleian Archives, Folder: MSS Darlington, J114 © Reproduced with permission of Janaki Ammal's family. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Letter_from_Janaki_Ammal_to_C_D_Darlington_25_September_... |
| Title | Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 25 September 1953 |
| Description | Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, dated 25th September 1953. Janaki Ammal tells Darlington that her proposal to reorganise the BSI has been accepted. In spite of Nehru's confidence in her, pressure from the UK has meant that she was not appointed director of the BSI, so Nehru made her position as director of the Central Botanical Laboratory equal in power and pay to that of the Director of the BSI. Transcription: C/O The Ministry of Natural Resources and Scientific Research, New Delhi, Sept. 25th 1953 My Dear Cyril, The above ministry has accepted my scheme for the reorganisation of the Botanical Survey of India - with a few amendments - for purpose of the survey I have divided India into 5 phytogeographic units or circles (I wanted 6 but they cut off the central one which I have added to the Madras Circle!) each with its own herbarium and a cytotaxonomic laboratory!! There will be a central - or National Herbarium either at Calcutta - or if W. Bengal fails to give us the Sibpur Herb.- at Dehra Dun. Biswas has been fighting tooth and nail to keep the herbarium at Sibpur with himself as the director of the BSI. In my scheme there is provision for a Central Botanical Laboratory where the 'living' flora of India will be studied from an evolutionary and cytotaxnomic angle - I had placed this under the Director of the Bot. Survey. I hear now that it is to be co-ordinate with it - with a director of equal standing & salary as that of the Survey proper. And they have asked me to be the first Director of it!! I shall try and get the Universities to give up the study of "macrosporogenesis" and begin cytological and genetic survey of plant populations. I want to tell you that the "old fogies" of England were partly responsible for this - They did not wish me to be director of the Bot. Survey. Fearing I would be too unorthodox - so Nehru in his usual way has given me even better scope to practice my unorthodoxy in speculative botany. The P.M. is head of scientific research in India! He is a gem. I hope you are liking Oxford - Will Oxford like you? All the best. From Janaki Author: E.K. Janaki Ammal Date: 25 September 1953 Source: Bodleian Archives, Folder: MSS Darlington, J114 © Reproduced with permission of Janaki Ammal's family. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Letter_from_Janaki_Ammal_to_C_D_Darlington_25_September_... |
| Title | Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 6 March (c. 1950) |
| Description | Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, dated March 6th. Probably 1950. Janaki Ammal bemoans the effect that the Grow More Food campaign is having on forests in India. Transcription: My Dear Cyril, I returned from Assam today - loaded with specimens live orchids and magnolias and tubes of dried material of Michelias, Talumas & Magnolias indigenous to Assam. I hope I will have time to add my findings to the paper for Stockholm. In the name of "Grow More Food" campaign - they are destroying valuable forests in Assam - I went 37 miles from Shillong in search of the only tree of Magnolia griffithii in that part of Assam and found it had been burnt down - It is terrible to see so much done in India without any scientific principle behind it. I find myself losing my temper with ministries and food commissioners - the Govt. of India wants me to stay on - very handsome salary is being offered - that does not tempt me - I hate to be a public figure and I do not like congress men - Nehru is the only exception. I visited the Central Potato Research Station at Patna - newly started with Ramanujam as its head. He is doing very good work and very soon it will be possible to buy seeds of pure strains of potatoes as we do. Mustard and radish seeds. It is quite possible to do it in India. I am glad to hear you had the children with you again, I wonder if I shall be allowed to see them! I finished Somerset Maugham's book "On Human Bondage" only the other day - I thought of you a great deal as I read it - Why - oh why did you not trust Pio & me with the truth. We suffered so much with you. Please give my salaams to Col. Stern. Did you go to his Linnaean lecture? Do you think I should apply for a post in UNESCO? I believe there is one group going for S.E. Asia. It will enable me to travel in the parts of India I am most interested in botanically - Indonesia, Philippines, Siam and perhaps China. I want to develop "Cyto-geography" on a large scale! I have a feeling R.H.S. is not interested in research. Gilmour is not anyhow. All the best Janaki. Author: E.K. Janaki Ammal Date: 6 March (c. 1950) Source: Bodleian Archives, Folder: MSS Darlington, J113 © Reproduced with permission of Janaki Ammal's family. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Letter_from_Janaki_Ammal_to_C_D_Darlington_6_March_c_195... |
| Title | Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, 6 March (c. 1950) |
| Description | Letter from Janaki Ammal to C.D. Darlington, dated March 6th. Probably 1950. Janaki Ammal bemoans the effect that the Grow More Food campaign is having on forests in India. Transcription: My Dear Cyril, I returned from Assam today - loaded with specimens live orchids and magnolias and tubes of dried material of Michelias, Talumas & Magnolias indigenous to Assam. I hope I will have time to add my findings to the paper for Stockholm. In the name of "Grow More Food" campaign - they are destroying valuable forests in Assam - I went 37 miles from Shillong in search of the only tree of Magnolia griffithii in that part of Assam and found it had been burnt down - It is terrible to see so much done in India without any scientific principle behind it. I find myself losing my temper with ministries and food commissioners - the Govt. of India wants me to stay on - very handsome salary is being offered - that does not tempt me - I hate to be a public figure and I do not like congress men - Nehru is the only exception. I visited the Central Potato Research Station at Patna - newly started with Ramanujam as its head. He is doing very good work and very soon it will be possible to buy seeds of pure strains of potatoes as we do. Mustard and radish seeds. It is quite possible to do it in India. I am glad to hear you had the children with you again, I wonder if I shall be allowed to see them! I finished Somerset Maugham's book "On Human Bondage" only the other day - I thought of you a great deal as I read it - Why - oh why did you not trust Pio & me with the truth. We suffered so much with you. Please give my salaams to Col. Stern. Did you go to his Linnaean lecture? Do you think I should apply for a post in UNESCO? I believe there is one group going for S.E. Asia. It will enable me to travel in the parts of India I am most interested in botanically - Indonesia, Philippines, Siam and perhaps China. I want to develop "Cyto-geography" on a large scale! I have a feeling R.H.S. is not interested in research. Gilmour is not anyhow. All the best Janaki. Author: E.K. Janaki Ammal Date: 6 March (c. 1950) Source: Bodleian Archives, Folder: MSS Darlington, J113 © Reproduced with permission of Janaki Ammal's family. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Letter_from_Janaki_Ammal_to_C_D_Darlington_6_March_c_195... |
| Title | Letter from Janaki Ammal to Norman Loftus Bor, 15 November 1949 |
| Description | Facsimile of Letter from Janaki Ammal to Norman Loftus Bor, dated November 15th 1949. Janaki Ammal details how Nehru sent for her and asked her to work for India. Transcription: Dear Dr. Bor, I was overcome by the fog and turned tail from Portsmouth Road on my way to Kew! I was thinking of the return journey. May I come when it is finer? Meanwhile here is the address of the cytologist to whom I would like material of Magnolia plerocarpa sent. Dr. A.R. Gopal-Ayangar Tata Memorial Hospital Parel Bombay I am writing to him by air mail that the "sticks" will be sent to him. My Prime Minister (Nehru) sent for me when he was here the other day. He wants me to work for India. Again I said I thought I could work better from this end - much as I love to be back home with my people - my psyche will not consent. I am too frightened of Venkataraman & other Ramans. What would you do? With salams from Janaki Date: 15 November 1949 Source: Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew Archives, Folder: 2/BUR/2A © Reproduced with permission of Janaki Ammal's family. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Letter_from_Janaki_Ammal_to_Norman_Loftus_Bor_15_Novembe... |
| Title | Letter from Janaki Ammal to Norman Loftus Bor, 15 November 1949 |
| Description | Facsimile of Letter from Janaki Ammal to Norman Loftus Bor, dated November 15th 1949. Janaki Ammal details how Nehru sent for her and asked her to work for India. Transcription: Dear Dr. Bor, I was overcome by the fog and turned tail from Portsmouth Road on my way to Kew! I was thinking of the return journey. May I come when it is finer? Meanwhile here is the address of the cytologist to whom I would like material of Magnolia plerocarpa sent. Dr. A.R. Gopal-Ayangar Tata Memorial Hospital Parel Bombay I am writing to him by air mail that the "sticks" will be sent to him. My Prime Minister (Nehru) sent for me when he was here the other day. He wants me to work for India. Again I said I thought I could work better from this end - much as I love to be back home with my people - my psyche will not consent. I am too frightened of Venkataraman & other Ramans. What would you do? With salams from Janaki Date: 15 November 1949 Source: Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew Archives, Folder: 2/BUR/2A © Reproduced with permission of Janaki Ammal's family. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Letter_from_Janaki_Ammal_to_Norman_Loftus_Bor_15_Novembe... |
| Title | Letter from R.B. Bhala to Bernard Mallet, 4 April 1930 |
| Description | Facsimile of Letter from R.B. Bhala to Bernard Mallet, president of the Eugenics Society, London, updating him on the work of the Eugenic Society, Bombay. Date: 4 April 1930 Source: Wellcome Collection Archives, Folder: SA/EUG/E.9 © Wellcome Collection Archives. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Letter_from_R_B_Bhala_to_Bernard_Mallet_4_April_1930/228... |
| Title | Letter from R.B. Bhala to Bernard Mallet, 4 April 1930 |
| Description | Facsimile of Letter from R.B. Bhala to Bernard Mallet, president of the Eugenics Society, London, updating him on the work of the Eugenic Society, Bombay. Date: 4 April 1930 Source: Wellcome Collection Archives, Folder: SA/EUG/E.9 © Wellcome Collection Archives. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Letter_from_R_B_Bhala_to_Bernard_Mallet_4_April_1930/228... |
| Title | List of participants for 1955 Chicago conference, Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth |
| Description | List of participants for 1955 Chicago conference, Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth. Janaki Ammal is the only woman and the only Asian who spoke at the conference. Radhakamal Mukherjee also contributed to the programme but did not attend the conference. Other contributors included C.G. Darwin, grandson to Charles Darwin, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, French Priest and influential palaeontologist, and F. Fraser Darling, a key figure in the post-war conservationism movement. Date: 1955 Source: Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth, 1955. Conference Proceedings. © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/List_of_participants_for_1955_Chicago_conference_Man_s_R... |
| Title | List of participants for 1955 Chicago conference, Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth |
| Description | List of participants for 1955 Chicago conference, Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth. Janaki Ammal is the only woman and the only Asian who spoke at the conference. Radhakamal Mukherjee also contributed to the programme but did not attend the conference. Other contributors included C.G. Darwin, grandson to Charles Darwin, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, French Priest and influential palaeontologist, and F. Fraser Darling, a key figure in the post-war conservationism movement. Date: 1955 Source: Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth, 1955. Conference Proceedings. © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/List_of_participants_for_1955_Chicago_conference_Man_s_R... |
| Title | Members of the Indian Eugenics Society of Simla and Lahore |
| Description | Members of the Indian Eugenics Society of Simla and Lahore. Birbal Sahni, the eminent palaeobotanist is listed as a sympathiser of the society. Date: c. 1920s Source: Wellcome Collection Archives, Folder: SA/EUG/E.8 © Wellcome Collection Archives |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Members_of_the_Indian_Eugenics_Society_of_Simla_and_Laho... |
| Title | Members of the Indian Eugenics Society of Simla and Lahore |
| Description | Members of the Indian Eugenics Society of Simla and Lahore. Birbal Sahni, the eminent palaeobotanist is listed as a sympathiser of the society. Date: c. 1920s Source: Wellcome Collection Archives, Folder: SA/EUG/E.8 © Wellcome Collection Archives |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Members_of_the_Indian_Eugenics_Society_of_Simla_and_Laho... |
| Title | Noel Joseph Terence Montgomery Needham (1900-1995) |
| Description | Joseph Needham (1900-1995) was a British biochemist known for his significant contributions to the field of history of science and technology, particularly in relation to China. Needham's connection with India primarily came through his work with UNESCO. He was part of UNESCO's Field Science Cooperation Offices, which aimed to promote scientific collaboration and exchange across different cultures. Needham was a key figure in both of scientific humanism and anti-racism, and made significant contributions to the final 1951 UNESCO statement on race. See Also:UNESCO Statement on Race |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Noel_Joseph_Terence_Montgomery_Needham_1900-1995_/228875... |
| Title | Noel Joseph Terence Montgomery Needham (1900-1995) |
| Description | Joseph Needham (1900-1995) was a British biochemist known for his significant contributions to the field of history of science and technology, particularly in relation to China. Needham's connection with India primarily came through his work with UNESCO. He was part of UNESCO's Field Science Cooperation Offices, which aimed to promote scientific collaboration and exchange across different cultures. Needham was a key figure in both of scientific humanism and anti-racism, and made significant contributions to the final 1951 UNESCO statement on race. See Also:UNESCO Statement on Race |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Noel_Joseph_Terence_Montgomery_Needham_1900-1995_/228875... |
| Title | Photograph of Basudev Roy at the John Innes Horticultural Institute |
| Description | This photograph showcases Basudev Roy, a researcher from Kolkata, during his time at the John Innes Horticultural Institute. Born in 1908, Roy worked as a volunteer at the institute from 1936, focusing on the fields of cell biology and pollen research, returning to India in 1938. Date: 1936-1938 Person Featured: Basudev Roy Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL/4 © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Basudev_Roy_at_the_John_Innes_Horticultura... |
| Title | Photograph of Basudev Roy at the John Innes Horticultural Institute |
| Description | This photograph showcases Basudev Roy, a researcher from Kolkata, during his time at the John Innes Horticultural Institute. Born in 1908, Roy worked as a volunteer at the institute from 1936, focusing on the fields of cell biology and pollen research, returning to India in 1938. Date: 1936-1938 Person Featured: Basudev Roy Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL/4 © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Basudev_Roy_at_the_John_Innes_Horticultura... |
| Title | Photograph of Birbal Sahni, 1930 |
| Description | Birbal Sahni was an influential palaeobotanist, who founded the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany. He was also cofounder of the Indian Botanical Society, and its president in 1924, where he met Janaki Ammal, the secretary at the time. Date: 1930 Source: Indian National Science Association © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Birbal_Sahni_1930/22838027/2 |
| Title | Photograph of Birbal Sahni, 1930 |
| Description | Birbal Sahni was an influential palaeobotanist, who founded the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany. He was also cofounder of the Indian Botanical Society, and its president in 1924, where he met Janaki Ammal, the secretary at the time. Date: 1930 Source: Indian National Science Association © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Birbal_Sahni_1930/22838027 |
| Title | Photograph of CV Raman |
| Description | CV Raman was a physicist, best know for his work on light scaterring. In 1930 he became the first Asian to win a Nobel Prize in science for this work. He founded the Indian Academy of Science in 1933 and was its president until his death in 1970. Date: 1930 Source: Nobel Foundation © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_CV_Raman/22837994/2 |
| Title | Photograph of CV Raman |
| Description | CV Raman was a physicist, best know for his work on light scaterring. In 1930 he became the first Asian to win a Nobel Prize in science for this work. He founded the Indian Academy of Science in 1933 and was its president until his death in 1970. Date: 1930 Source: Nobel Foundation © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_CV_Raman/22837994 |
| Title | Photograph of Dr Janaki Ammal and other staff at RHS Garden Wisley, October 1950 |
| Description | This photograph captures Janaki Ammal and her colleagues at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), Wisley, around 1945. The image showcases a dedicated team of horticulturalists and scientists, including N.K. Gould, J.M.S. Potter, R.E. Adams, J.S.L. Gilmour, I.C. Enoch, G.F. Wilson, E.K. Janaki Ammal, and D.E. Green. Janaki Ammal, an accomplished botanist, made significant contributions during her tenure at the Royal Horticultural Society from 1946 to 1951. Date: October 1950 People Featured: J.M.S. Potter, R.E. Adams, J.S.L. Gilmour, I.C. Enoch, G.F. Wilson, E.K. Janaki Ammal, N.K. Gould, D.E. Green Source: RHS Lindley Collections, Folder: RHS/P/WY/1/5/QQ/7 © Courtesy of the RHS Lindley Collections. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Dr_Janaki_Ammal_and_other_staff_at_RHS_Gar... |
| Title | Photograph of Dr Janaki Ammal and other staff at RHS Garden Wisley, October 1950 |
| Description | This photograph captures Janaki Ammal and her colleagues at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), Wisley, around 1945. The image showcases a dedicated team of horticulturalists and scientists, including N.K. Gould, J.M.S. Potter, R.E. Adams, J.S.L. Gilmour, I.C. Enoch, G.F. Wilson, E.K. Janaki Ammal, and D.E. Green. Janaki Ammal, an accomplished botanist, made significant contributions during her tenure at the Royal Horticultural Society from 1946 to 1951. Date: October 1950 People Featured: J.M.S. Potter, R.E. Adams, J.S.L. Gilmour, I.C. Enoch, G.F. Wilson, E.K. Janaki Ammal, N.K. Gould, D.E. Green Source: RHS Lindley Collections, Folder: RHS/P/WY/1/5/QQ/7 © Courtesy of the RHS Lindley Collections. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Dr_Janaki_Ammal_and_other_staff_at_RHS_Gar... |
| Title | Photograph of E.K. Janaki Ammal with a microscope |
| Description | E.K. Janaki Ammal with a microscope at the Botanical Survey of India, c. 1950s. Date: c. 1950s Source: Botanical Survey of India Archives © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_E_K_Janaki_Ammal_with_a_microscope/2283970... |
| Title | Photograph of E.K. Janaki Ammal with a microscope |
| Description | E.K. Janaki Ammal with a microscope at the Botanical Survey of India, c. 1950s. Date: c. 1950s Source: Botanical Survey of India Archives © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_E_K_Janaki_Ammal_with_a_microscope/2283970... |
| Title | Photograph of Gathering at the John Innes Horticultural Institution in 1952 |
| Description | This photograph showcases a gathering at the John Innes Horticultural Institution in 1952, following the Bateson Lecture. The image features prominent figures including Julian Huxley, R.A. Fisher, C.D. Darlington, and Ahraful Haque, offering a glimpse into the vibrant scientific community and intellectual exchange at the institution during that time. The photograph depicts a distinguished front row with Julian Huxley, biologist and humanist, R.A. Fisher, statistician and geneticist, and C.D. Darlington, distinguished cytologist, positioned fourth, fifth, and sixth from the left respectively. Their presence signifies the cross-disciplinary collaboration that characterized the John Innes Horticultural Institution. In the back row, Ahraful Haque, a researcher from Dacca, is captured as the second person from the right. Date: 1952 People Featured: Julian Huxley, R.A. Fisher, C.D. Darlington, Ahraful Haque Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL/1 © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Gathering_at_the_John_Innes_Horticultural_... |
| Title | Photograph of Gathering at the John Innes Horticultural Institution in 1952 |
| Description | This photograph showcases a gathering at the John Innes Horticultural Institution in 1952, following the Bateson Lecture. The image features prominent figures including Julian Huxley, R.A. Fisher, C.D. Darlington, and Ahraful Haque, offering a glimpse into the vibrant scientific community and intellectual exchange at the institution during that time. The photograph depicts a distinguished front row with Julian Huxley, biologist and humanist, R.A. Fisher, statistician and geneticist, and C.D. Darlington, distinguished cytologist, positioned fourth, fifth, and sixth from the left respectively. Their presence signifies the cross-disciplinary collaboration that characterized the John Innes Horticultural Institution. In the back row, Ahraful Haque, a researcher from Dacca, is captured as the second person from the right. Date: 1952 People Featured: Julian Huxley, R.A. Fisher, C.D. Darlington, Ahraful Haque Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL/1 © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Gathering_at_the_John_Innes_Horticultural_... |
| Title | Photograph of Humayun Kabir |
| Description | Humayun Kabir was a humanist and close associate of UNESCO. In 1949, he was involved in a meeting to draft the first UNESCO statement on race, with M.F. Ashley-Montague. This statement was ultimately revised by Julian Huxley, J.B.S. Haldane and others. Kabir's interests in society and education ultimately led him to becoming India's education secretary in 1963. Date: c.1950s © Wikimedia Commons |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Humayun_Kabir/22830617/2 |
| Title | Photograph of Humayun Kabir |
| Description | Humayun Kabir was a humanist and close associate of UNESCO. In 1949, he was involved in a meeting to draft the first UNESCO statement on race, with M.F. Ashley-Montague. This statement was ultimately revised by Julian Huxley, J.B.S. Haldane and others. Kabir's interests in society and education ultimately led him to becoming India's education secretary in 1963. Date: c.1950s © Wikimedia Commons |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Humayun_Kabir/22830617 |
| Title | Photograph of J.B.S. Haldane and P.C. Mahalanobis in India |
| Description | J.B.S. Haldane and P.C. Mahalanobis in India. Haldane moved to India in 1957, after Mahalanobis offered him a position as Geneticist in the Indian Statistical Institute. Date: c. 1950s Source: Wikimedia Commons © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_J_B_S_Haldane_and_P_C_Mahalanobis_in_India... |
| Title | Photograph of J.B.S. Haldane and P.C. Mahalanobis in India |
| Description | J.B.S. Haldane and P.C. Mahalanobis in India. Haldane moved to India in 1957, after Mahalanobis offered him a position as Geneticist in the Indian Statistical Institute. Date: c. 1950s Source: Wikimedia Commons © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_J_B_S_Haldane_and_P_C_Mahalanobis_in_India... |
| Title | Photograph of J.C. Bose with students at the University of Calcutta |
| Description | J.C. Bose with students at the University of Calcutta. C.1930s. First row, L to R: Meghnad Saha, J.C. Bose, J.C. Ghosh. Second row, L to R: Snehamoy Dutt, S.N. Bose, D.M. Bose, N.R. Sen, J.N. Mukherjee, N.C. Nag J.C. Bose's teachings and influence propelled his students to illustrious careers. Meghnad Saha went on to become an astrophysicist. He founded NASI, the first Indian institute of science, in 1930. From 1937 to 1938, he was the second president of INSA. S.N. Bose became a mathematician and quantum physicist, who worked with Albert Einstein throughout the 1920s. The particle boson was named after him, because of his involvement in its discovery. D.M. Bose, who was J.C. Bose's nephew took over the directorship of the Bose Institute in 1938. Date: c. 1930s Persons Featured: Meghnad Saha, J.C. Bose, J.C. Ghosh, Snehamoy Dutt, S.N. Bose, D.M. Bose, N.R. Sen, J.N. Mukherjee, N.C. Nag Source: Satyendra Nath Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences Archive © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_J_C_Bose_with_students_at_the_University_o... |
| Title | Photograph of J.C. Bose with students at the University of Calcutta |
| Description | J.C. Bose with students at the University of Calcutta. C.1930s. First row, L to R: Meghnad Saha, J.C. Bose, J.C. Ghosh. Second row, L to R: Snehamoy Dutt, S.N. Bose, D.M. Bose, N.R. Sen, J.N. Mukherjee, N.C. Nag J.C. Bose's teachings and influence propelled his students to illustrious careers. Meghnad Saha went on to become an astrophysicist. He founded NASI, the first Indian institute of science, in 1930. From 1937 to 1938, he was the second president of INSA. S.N. Bose became a mathematician and quantum physicist, who worked with Albert Einstein throughout the 1920s. The particle boson was named after him, because of his involvement in its discovery. D.M. Bose, who was J.C. Bose's nephew took over the directorship of the Bose Institute in 1938. Date: c. 1930s Persons Featured: Meghnad Saha, J.C. Bose, J.C. Ghosh, Snehamoy Dutt, S.N. Bose, D.M. Bose, N.R. Sen, J.N. Mukherjee, N.C. Nag Source: Satyendra Nath Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences Archive © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_J_C_Bose_with_students_at_the_University_o... |
| Title | Photograph of Jagadish Chandra Bose, at the Sorbonne in Paris, 1926 |
| Description | JC Bose was a physicist, whose interdisciplinary approach to the subject led him to explore botany, chemistry and biology. He is best known for his work on microwaves in radio science and plant biology. He established the Bose Institute in 1917 as a "temple" to science, where Indian scientists could conduct interdisciplinary research on their own terms, free from the hierarchies of British scientific establishment. Date: 1926 Source: Wikimedia Commons © Public Domain. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Jagadish_Chandra_Bose_at_the_Sorbonne_in_P... |
| Title | Photograph of Jagadish Chandra Bose, at the Sorbonne in Paris, 1926 |
| Description | JC Bose was a physicist, whose interdisciplinary approach to the subject led him to explore botany, chemistry and biology. He is best known for his work on microwaves in radio science and plant biology. He established the Bose Institute in 1917 as a "temple" to science, where Indian scientists could conduct interdisciplinary research on their own terms, free from the hierarchies of British scientific establishment. Date: 1926 Source: Wikimedia Commons © Public Domain. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Jagadish_Chandra_Bose_at_the_Sorbonne_in_P... |
| Title | Photograph of Janaki Ammal at Michigan |
| Description | Janaki Ammal at Michigan, c. 1928. The caption in her photo album reads "International Cooperation!" Janaki Ammal attended the University of Michigan from 1924 to 1926, studying an MSc in Botany. From 1928 to 1931, she converted this to a DSc as part of the Barbour Fellowship scheme. During the DSc, she was tutored at John Innes Horticultural Institution by C.D. Darlington. Date: c. 1928 Source: Vinita Damodaran Private Collection © Reproduced with permission of Janaki Ammal's family. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Janaki_Ammal_at_Michigan/22837910/2 |
| Title | Photograph of Janaki Ammal at Michigan |
| Description | Janaki Ammal at Michigan, c. 1928. The caption in her photo album reads "International Cooperation!" Janaki Ammal attended the University of Michigan from 1924 to 1926, studying an MSc in Botany. From 1928 to 1931, she converted this to a DSc as part of the Barbour Fellowship scheme. During the DSc, she was tutored at John Innes Horticultural Institution by C.D. Darlington. Date: c. 1928 Source: Vinita Damodaran Private Collection © Reproduced with permission of Janaki Ammal's family. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Janaki_Ammal_at_Michigan/22837910 |
| Title | Photograph of Jawaharlal Nehru at the 1949 Indian Science Congress |
| Description | Jawaharlal Nehru at the 1949 Indian Science Congress, Lucknow. Nehru addressed the Congress 16 times between 1938 and 1963, each time, using this platform to stress the importance of politics and science working together. Date: 3 January 1949 Persons Featured: Sarojini Naidu, K.S. Krishnan, Jawaharlal Nehru Source: Nehru Memorial Library © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Jawaharlal_Nehru_at_the_1949_Indian_Scienc... |
| Title | Photograph of Jawaharlal Nehru at the 1949 Indian Science Congress |
| Description | Jawaharlal Nehru at the 1949 Indian Science Congress, Lucknow. Nehru addressed the Congress 16 times between 1938 and 1963, each time, using this platform to stress the importance of politics and science working together. Date: 3 January 1949 Persons Featured: Sarojini Naidu, K.S. Krishnan, Jawaharlal Nehru Source: Nehru Memorial Library © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Jawaharlal_Nehru_at_the_1949_Indian_Scienc... |
| Title | Photograph of Julian Huxley and Cyril Darlington at the John Innes Horticultural Institute |
| Description | This photograph depicts the John Innes Horticultural Institute during the 103rd Genetical Society Meeting in 1950. The image features Julian Huxley on the left and Cyril Darlington on the right, two distinguished figures who contributed greatly to the fields of biology and genetics. Their presence symbolizes the convergence of brilliant minds and the exchange of scientific ideas at the institute during that time. Their appearance at the Genetical Society Meeting underscores the institution's role as a hub for intellectual exchange and scientific collaboration. Date: 1950 People Featured: Julian Huxley, Cyril Darlington Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL/1 © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Julian_Huxley_and_Cyril_Darlington_at_the_... |
| Title | Photograph of Julian Huxley and Cyril Darlington at the John Innes Horticultural Institute |
| Description | This photograph depicts the John Innes Horticultural Institute during the 103rd Genetical Society Meeting in 1950. The image features Julian Huxley on the left and Cyril Darlington on the right, two distinguished figures who contributed greatly to the fields of biology and genetics. Their presence symbolizes the convergence of brilliant minds and the exchange of scientific ideas at the institute during that time. Their appearance at the Genetical Society Meeting underscores the institution's role as a hub for intellectual exchange and scientific collaboration. Date: 1950 People Featured: Julian Huxley, Cyril Darlington Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL/1 © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Julian_Huxley_and_Cyril_Darlington_at_the_... |
| Title | Photograph of Meghnad Saha |
| Description | Meghnad Saha was an astrophysicist, who founded NASI, the first Indian institute of science, in 1930. From 1937 to 1938, he was the second president of INSA. Date: c. 1940s Source: Wikimedia Commons © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Meghnad_Saha/22837985 |
| Title | Photograph of Meghnad Saha |
| Description | Meghnad Saha was an astrophysicist, who founded NASI, the first Indian institute of science, in 1930. From 1937 to 1938, he was the second president of INSA. Date: c. 1940s Source: Wikimedia Commons © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_Meghnad_Saha/22837985/2 |
| Title | Photograph of P.C. Mahalanobis |
| Description | P.C. Mahalanobis was a statistician, who founded the Indian Statistical Institute in 1931, acting as its director until his death in 1972. Date: c. 1930s Source: Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_P_C_Mahalanobis/22838012 |
| Title | Photograph of P.C. Mahalanobis |
| Description | P.C. Mahalanobis was a statistician, who founded the Indian Statistical Institute in 1931, acting as its director until his death in 1972. Date: c. 1930s Source: Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_P_C_Mahalanobis/22838012/2 |
| Title | Photograph of TS Venkataraman |
| Description | TS Venkataraman was a botanist, who worked at the Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, first as assistant to the director C.A. Barber, taking over as the first Indian director in 1918. Under his leadership, the institute developed a number of hybrid specimens with increased sugar yields. Part of this success was due to his interest in new scientific innovations, in particular genetics and cytology. Date: c. 1930s Source: ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore © Public Domain. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_TS_Venkataraman/22838003/2 |
| Title | Photograph of TS Venkataraman |
| Description | TS Venkataraman was a botanist, who worked at the Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, first as assistant to the director C.A. Barber, taking over as the first Indian director in 1918. Under his leadership, the institute developed a number of hybrid specimens with increased sugar yields. Part of this success was due to his interest in new scientific innovations, in particular genetics and cytology. Date: c. 1930s Source: ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore © Public Domain. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_TS_Venkataraman/22838003 |
| Title | Photograph of the Bose Institute, c. 1920 |
| Description | The Bose Institute c. 1920. In 1917, Jagadish Chandra Bose, after years of dreaming of a research institution, run by Indians for Indians, free from the discrimination of British universities, realised his dream in the establishment of the Bose Institute, Kolkata. The Bose Institute followed its founder's interdisciplinary vision of science, which, while focusing predominantly in Physics, also drew upon Chemistry, Botany, Zoology and Anthropology. Under the directorship of his nephew D.M. Bose (1938-1967), the Bose Institute expanded its horizons further with a department of microbiology . Date: c. 1920 Source: The Bose Institute Archives © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_the_Bose_Institute_c_1920/22837904 |
| Title | Photograph of the Bose Institute, c. 1920 |
| Description | The Bose Institute c. 1920. In 1917, Jagadish Chandra Bose, after years of dreaming of a research institution, run by Indians for Indians, free from the discrimination of British universities, realised his dream in the establishment of the Bose Institute, Kolkata. The Bose Institute followed its founder's interdisciplinary vision of science, which, while focusing predominantly in Physics, also drew upon Chemistry, Botany, Zoology and Anthropology. Under the directorship of his nephew D.M. Bose (1938-1967), the Bose Institute expanded its horizons further with a department of microbiology . Date: c. 1920 Source: The Bose Institute Archives © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_the_Bose_Institute_c_1920/22837904/2 |
| Title | Photograph of the Indian Museum, c. 1905 |
| Description | The Indian Museum, c. 1905. This is the oldest museum in India and the 9th oldest in the world. It was established in 1814, then superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. The museum's zoological and anthropological collections became the birthplace of the ZSI and the AnSI in 1916 and 1945 respectively. Date: c. 1905 Source: The Times Press. (n.d.). India Illustrated. Bennet, Coleman & Co. © Public domain. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_the_Indian_Museum_c_1905/22837895 |
| Title | Photograph of the Indian Museum, c. 1905 |
| Description | The Indian Museum, c. 1905. This is the oldest museum in India and the 9th oldest in the world. It was established in 1814, then superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. The museum's zoological and anthropological collections became the birthplace of the ZSI and the AnSI in 1916 and 1945 respectively. Date: c. 1905 Source: The Times Press. (n.d.). India Illustrated. Bennet, Coleman & Co. © Public domain. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_the_Indian_Museum_c_1905/22837895/2 |
| Title | Photograph of the John Innes Horticultural Institution at Merton |
| Description | This photograph of the John Innes Horticultural Institution at Merton was taken around the 1930s. The image offers a glimpse into the history and significance of this institution, which played a vital role in advancing horticultural research and plant breeding during that era. The John Innes Horticultural Institution, established in 1910, served as a hub for scientific inquiry, experimentation, and the development of new plant varieties. It fostered collaboration between botanists, geneticists, and horticulturists, paving the way for innovative techniques and advancements in plant breeding. This exhibit pays homage to the historical significance of the John Innes Institution and its contributions to the field of horticulture, celebrating its role as a center of excellence in botanical research and fostering a deeper appreciation for the art and science of horticulture. Date: c. 1930s Source: John Innes Centre Archives © John Innes Archives, courtesy of the John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_the_John_Innes_Horticultural_Institution_a... |
| Title | Photograph of the John Innes Horticultural Institution at Merton |
| Description | This photograph of the John Innes Horticultural Institution at Merton was taken around the 1930s. The image offers a glimpse into the history and significance of this institution, which played a vital role in advancing horticultural research and plant breeding during that era. The John Innes Horticultural Institution, established in 1910, served as a hub for scientific inquiry, experimentation, and the development of new plant varieties. It fostered collaboration between botanists, geneticists, and horticulturists, paving the way for innovative techniques and advancements in plant breeding. This exhibit pays homage to the historical significance of the John Innes Institution and its contributions to the field of horticulture, celebrating its role as a center of excellence in botanical research and fostering a deeper appreciation for the art and science of horticulture. Date: c. 1930s Source: John Innes Centre Archives © John Innes Archives, courtesy of the John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photograph_of_the_John_Innes_Horticultural_Institution_a... |
| Title | Photographs of January 2023 exhibition at Indian Museum, Kolkata. |
| Description | The exhibition "Science, Humanism and the Making of Modern India" held at the Industrial Section of the Indian Museum in Kolkata from January 10th to February 10th, 2023, offered visitors a journey into the intellectual ferment that shaped India in the early 20th century. This exhibition, organized as part of the "Science and the Colonies: Hidden Networks of Botanical Science, Ecology and Eugenics at the End of Empire" project, showcased the profound impact of interdisciplinary debates on genetics, cytology, botany, and eugenics during that era. By highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of colonial scientists, including the pioneering Indian woman scientist E.K. Janaki Ammal, the exhibition shed light on the cross-fertilization of ideas and the influence of race, gender, and indigenous knowledge on scientific practices of the time. Visitors to the exhibition were treated to a comprehensive overview of the scientific and political landscape of the early 20th century. The exhibition's sections explored various themes, including the revolutionary interdisciplinary movement known as the "Modern Synthesis," the history of science in colonial India, the impact of the eugenics movement on racial and family planning matters, and the role of scientific humanism, anti-racism, and Nehruvian science in shaping the scientific discourse of the time. It also delved into the science of ecology and its relationship to environmentalism in post-independent India, showcasing the work of early environmental activists like Janaki Ammal. In addition to these explorations, the exhibition drew attention to the significance of traditional crops such as millets and the invaluable resources housed within the Botanical Survey of India's collection. The exhibition also featured two companion exhibitions curated by research partners of the Centre for World Environmental History (CWEH). "The Sundarbans Delta: Untold Stories of Children from the Margins" showcased the artwork of children living in the Sundarbans region, depicting the climate change-induced uncertainties they face. The other companion exhibition, titled "The Oraons of Chhotanagpur: Revisiting and Challenging Colonial Representations," critically examined shifting colonial representations of the Oraon 'tribe' in the nineteenth century, amplifying the voice of Bishop Dr. Nirmal Minz, an Oraon public intellectual who challenged those representations and presented an alternative Adivasi identity. The exhibition launch was a significant event that marked the culmination of the exhibition's preparations. It included a panel discussion on science, public culture, and museums, featuring panelists such as Ashiho Mao, Vinita Damodaran, Manas Bhaumik, Deepak Kumar, Rohan D'Souza, and representatives from the Mangrove School Project. The discussion explored the intersection of science, public culture, and museums, providing valuable insights into the exhibition's themes and their broader implications. (c) Images courtesy of Anindita Saha, Vinita Damodaran and Michael Rayner See Also: Exhibition Brochure Exhibition Walkthrough Janaki Ammal and the Genetical Society Jawaharlal Nehru Dinner Party Display Photographs of the Inaugural Conference |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photographs_of_January_2023_exhibition_at_Indian_Museum_... |
| Title | Photographs of January 2023 exhibition at Indian Museum, Kolkata. |
| Description | The exhibition "Science, Humanism and the Making of Modern India" held at the Industrial Section of the Indian Museum in Kolkata from January 10th to February 10th, 2023, offered visitors a journey into the intellectual ferment that shaped India in the early 20th century. This exhibition, organized as part of the "Science and the Colonies: Hidden Networks of Botanical Science, Ecology and Eugenics at the End of Empire" project, showcased the profound impact of interdisciplinary debates on genetics, cytology, botany, and eugenics during that era. By highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of colonial scientists, including the pioneering Indian woman scientist E.K. Janaki Ammal, the exhibition shed light on the cross-fertilization of ideas and the influence of race, gender, and indigenous knowledge on scientific practices of the time. Visitors to the exhibition were treated to a comprehensive overview of the scientific and political landscape of the early 20th century. The exhibition's sections explored various themes, including the revolutionary interdisciplinary movement known as the "Modern Synthesis," the history of science in colonial India, the impact of the eugenics movement on racial and family planning matters, and the role of scientific humanism, anti-racism, and Nehruvian science in shaping the scientific discourse of the time. It also delved into the science of ecology and its relationship to environmentalism in post-independent India, showcasing the work of early environmental activists like Janaki Ammal. In addition to these explorations, the exhibition drew attention to the significance of traditional crops such as millets and the invaluable resources housed within the Botanical Survey of India's collection. The exhibition also featured two companion exhibitions curated by research partners of the Centre for World Environmental History (CWEH). "The Sundarbans Delta: Untold Stories of Children from the Margins" showcased the artwork of children living in the Sundarbans region, depicting the climate change-induced uncertainties they face. The other companion exhibition, titled "The Oraons of Chhotanagpur: Revisiting and Challenging Colonial Representations," critically examined shifting colonial representations of the Oraon 'tribe' in the nineteenth century, amplifying the voice of Bishop Dr. Nirmal Minz, an Oraon public intellectual who challenged those representations and presented an alternative Adivasi identity. The exhibition launch was a significant event that marked the culmination of the exhibition's preparations. It included a panel discussion on science, public culture, and museums, featuring panelists such as Ashiho Mao, Vinita Damodaran, Manas Bhaumik, Deepak Kumar, Rohan D'Souza, and representatives from the Mangrove School Project. The discussion explored the intersection of science, public culture, and museums, providing valuable insights into the exhibition's themes and their broader implications. (c) Images courtesy of Anindita Saha, Vinita Damodaran and Michael Rayner See Also: Exhibition Brochure Exhibition Walkthrough Janaki Ammal and the Genetical Society Jawaharlal Nehru Dinner Party Display Photographs of the Inaugural Conference |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photographs_of_January_2023_exhibition_at_Indian_Museum_... |
| Title | Photographs of the Inaugural Conference |
| Description | In January 2023, the University of Sussex and the Botanical Survey of India came together to host a conference, marking the inauguration of the "Science, Humanism and the Making of Modern India" exhibition. This event brought together a diverse group of international experts representing various disciplines. Their primary objective was to foster knowledge sharing and meaningful discussions centred around the theme of "Science, Humanism, and the Formation of Modern India."Programme9th January 202310:00 Registration10:30-11.15 Introductory Address11.15-11:45 Tea Break11:45-13:00 Section 1: Nehruvian Science and the Global Context× Rohan D'Souza (Kyoto): Science and Culture, a Post-Independence Nehruvian Story× Michael Rayner (Sussex): India's Contribution to the UNESCO Statement on Race, 1951× Projit Bihari Mukharji (Ashoka): A Brave New Animal for a Brave New World: UNESCO and Mouse-Model Standardization in Early Postcolonial India13:00-14:00 Lunch Break14:00-15:15 Section 2: Nehruvian Science and the National Context× Sucheta Mahajan (JNU): A New Science for a New Nation: Emerging Perspectives of the Indian National Congress× Renny Thomas (IISER): Science, Scientific Temper and Indigenous Knowledge Systems× Suvobrata Sarkar (RBU): Bengali sub-nationalism and quest for modern technological knowledge: Gleanings from India's colonial past and the College of Engineering & Technology, Jadavpur× Vijay Kumar Yadavendu (Patliputra University): TBC15:15-16:30 Section 3: Indian Archives and Collections× Antonia Moon (BL) (Zoom): Colonial Collections on the Science and Anthropology of India in the British Library× Anindita Saha (Sussex) & Manas Bhaumik (BSI): Collections held by the Botanical Survey of India× Michael Rayner (Sussex, on behalf of JIC): The Archives of the John Innes Centre and the History of the Genetics Society16:30-18.00 Exhibition Launch and Panel Discussion on Science, Public Culture and MuseumsExhibition: Science, Humanism and the Making of Modern IndiaIn the Industrial Section of Indian Museum, BSIPanel Discussion on Science, Public Culture and MuseumsChair: Ashiho Mao (BSI) & Vinita Damodaran (Sussex)Participants: Manas Bhaumik (BSI), Deepak Kumar (JNU), Rohan D'Souza (Kyoto), Anindita Saha (Sussex), Michael Rayner (Sussex), Mangrove School Project Team18:00 Reception with High Tea10th January 202310:00-10:30 Introduction× Vinita Damodaran (Sussex): AHRC Project× Michael Rayner (Sussex): The Indian Science Congress and Its Role in Formalising Indian Science10:30-11:15 Keynote Speech by Deepak Kumar (JNU): 'Science, Humanism and Decolonisation: The Indian Experiences'Chair: Ashiho Mao11:15-11:30 Tea Break11:30-12:45 Section 4: Anthropology 1: Colonial Anthropology× Sangeeta DasGupta (JNU): Sarat Chandra Roy's Anthropology: A Journey through a Discipline× Anju Oseema Toppo (Xaviers): The Changing Construct of Adivasi Identity in Indian Context× Sandipan Mitra (Presidency): Disciplining Anthropology in Late Colonial Bengal× Felix Padel (Sussex) (Zoom): Eugenics, Anthropology and the Darwins12:45-14:00 Section 5: Ecology, Botany and Genetics× Mick Frogley (Sussex): Hidden Histories, Hidden Ecologies: The Role of Imperial Networks in Developing the 'Modern Synthesis'× Michael Rayner (Sussex): Genetics Networks in 1930s India× Vinita Damodaran (Sussex): Janaki Ammal and Indian Science14:00-14:45 Lunch Break14:45-15:30 Section 7: Institutional Histories, Botany and Genetics in Modern India× Ashiho Mao (BSI): The History of the BSI× Uday Bandyopadhyay (Bose Institute): The Pioneering Role of Bose Institute Towards the Advent and Flourishing of Modern Science in India15:30-16:30 Section 6: Botany, Genetics and Environmentalism in Modern India× Dr. Karthygeyan (BSI): Ethnobotany in Modern India× Manas Bhaumik (BSI): TBC× Vinita Damodaran (Sussex) and Rohan D'Souza (Kyoto): Participation of Scientists in Postcolonial Environmentalism in India and Abroad16:30-16:45 Tea Break16:45-17:45 Section 8: Anthropology 2: Race and Decolonisation× Shalini Minz (Xaviers): Indigenous knowledge on Ethnobotanical diversity and its role in Forest Conservation in Tribal areas of Jharkhand.× Sneha S Kachhap (Xaviers): The development of Labour zone and the Process of Ethnicization of Tribal Labour× Sharon Kachhap (BR Ambedkar): Decolonising Arts Education in Indian School Systems17:45-18:30 Concluding Comments (c) Images courtesy of Anindita Saha, Vinita Damodaran and Michael Rayner |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photographs_of_the_Inaugural_Conference/23735517/1 |
| Title | Photographs of the Inaugural Conference |
| Description | In January 2023, the University of Sussex and the Botanical Survey of India came together to host a conference, marking the inauguration of the "Science, Humanism and the Making of Modern India" exhibition. This event brought together a diverse group of international experts representing various disciplines. Their primary objective was to foster knowledge sharing and meaningful discussions centred around the theme of "Science, Humanism, and the Formation of Modern India."Programme9th January 202310:00 Registration10:30-11.15 Introductory Address11.15-11:45 Tea Break11:45-13:00 Section 1: Nehruvian Science and the Global Context× Rohan D'Souza (Kyoto): Science and Culture, a Post-Independence Nehruvian Story× Michael Rayner (Sussex): India's Contribution to the UNESCO Statement on Race, 1951× Projit Bihari Mukharji (Ashoka): A Brave New Animal for a Brave New World: UNESCO and Mouse-Model Standardization in Early Postcolonial India13:00-14:00 Lunch Break14:00-15:15 Section 2: Nehruvian Science and the National Context× Sucheta Mahajan (JNU): A New Science for a New Nation: Emerging Perspectives of the Indian National Congress× Renny Thomas (IISER): Science, Scientific Temper and Indigenous Knowledge Systems× Suvobrata Sarkar (RBU): Bengali sub-nationalism and quest for modern technological knowledge: Gleanings from India's colonial past and the College of Engineering & Technology, Jadavpur× Vijay Kumar Yadavendu (Patliputra University): TBC15:15-16:30 Section 3: Indian Archives and Collections× Antonia Moon (BL) (Zoom): Colonial Collections on the Science and Anthropology of India in the British Library× Anindita Saha (Sussex) & Manas Bhaumik (BSI): Collections held by the Botanical Survey of India× Michael Rayner (Sussex, on behalf of JIC): The Archives of the John Innes Centre and the History of the Genetics Society16:30-18.00 Exhibition Launch and Panel Discussion on Science, Public Culture and MuseumsExhibition: Science, Humanism and the Making of Modern IndiaIn the Industrial Section of Indian Museum, BSIPanel Discussion on Science, Public Culture and MuseumsChair: Ashiho Mao (BSI) & Vinita Damodaran (Sussex)Participants: Manas Bhaumik (BSI), Deepak Kumar (JNU), Rohan D'Souza (Kyoto), Anindita Saha (Sussex), Michael Rayner (Sussex), Mangrove School Project Team18:00 Reception with High Tea10th January 202310:00-10:30 Introduction× Vinita Damodaran (Sussex): AHRC Project× Michael Rayner (Sussex): The Indian Science Congress and Its Role in Formalising Indian Science10:30-11:15 Keynote Speech by Deepak Kumar (JNU): 'Science, Humanism and Decolonisation: The Indian Experiences'Chair: Ashiho Mao11:15-11:30 Tea Break11:30-12:45 Section 4: Anthropology 1: Colonial Anthropology× Sangeeta DasGupta (JNU): Sarat Chandra Roy's Anthropology: A Journey through a Discipline× Anju Oseema Toppo (Xaviers): The Changing Construct of Adivasi Identity in Indian Context× Sandipan Mitra (Presidency): Disciplining Anthropology in Late Colonial Bengal× Felix Padel (Sussex) (Zoom): Eugenics, Anthropology and the Darwins12:45-14:00 Section 5: Ecology, Botany and Genetics× Mick Frogley (Sussex): Hidden Histories, Hidden Ecologies: The Role of Imperial Networks in Developing the 'Modern Synthesis'× Michael Rayner (Sussex): Genetics Networks in 1930s India× Vinita Damodaran (Sussex): Janaki Ammal and Indian Science14:00-14:45 Lunch Break14:45-15:30 Section 7: Institutional Histories, Botany and Genetics in Modern India× Ashiho Mao (BSI): The History of the BSI× Uday Bandyopadhyay (Bose Institute): The Pioneering Role of Bose Institute Towards the Advent and Flourishing of Modern Science in India15:30-16:30 Section 6: Botany, Genetics and Environmentalism in Modern India× Dr. Karthygeyan (BSI): Ethnobotany in Modern India× Manas Bhaumik (BSI): TBC× Vinita Damodaran (Sussex) and Rohan D'Souza (Kyoto): Participation of Scientists in Postcolonial Environmentalism in India and Abroad16:30-16:45 Tea Break16:45-17:45 Section 8: Anthropology 2: Race and Decolonisation× Shalini Minz (Xaviers): Indigenous knowledge on Ethnobotanical diversity and its role in Forest Conservation in Tribal areas of Jharkhand.× Sneha S Kachhap (Xaviers): The development of Labour zone and the Process of Ethnicization of Tribal Labour× Sharon Kachhap (BR Ambedkar): Decolonising Arts Education in Indian School Systems17:45-18:30 Concluding Comments (c) Images courtesy of Anindita Saha, Vinita Damodaran and Michael Rayner |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Photographs_of_the_Inaugural_Conference/23735517 |
| Title | Preface of Janaki Ammal's plan for reorganising the Botanical Survey of India |
| Description | Preface of Janaki Ammal's plan for reorganising the Botanical Survey of India. Author: E.K. Janaki Ammal Date: 25 June, 1953 Source: Botanical Survey of India Archives © Botanical Survey of India. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Preface_of_Janaki_Ammal_s_plan_for_reorganising_the_Bota... |
| Title | Preface of Janaki Ammal's plan for reorganising the Botanical Survey of India |
| Description | Preface of Janaki Ammal's plan for reorganising the Botanical Survey of India. Author: E.K. Janaki Ammal Date: 25 June, 1953 Source: Botanical Survey of India Archives © Botanical Survey of India. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Preface_of_Janaki_Ammal_s_plan_for_reorganising_the_Bota... |
| Title | Programme for the 1948 International Congress of Genetics in Stockholm |
| Description | A part of the programme for the 1948 International Congress of Genetics in Stockholm. The congress committee, following revelations about the holocaust, made efforts to exclude speakers who defended eugenics programmes. However this was not completely successful. Tage Kemp, as shown above, gave an introductory address alongside Darlington and Haldane. Kemp was a longstanding defender of eugenic sterilisation legislation. Date: 1948 Source: International Congress of Genetics. (1948). Proceedings of the 8th International Congress of Genetics. © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Programme_for_the_1948_International_Congress_of_Genetic... |
| Title | Programme for the 1948 International Congress of Genetics in Stockholm |
| Description | A part of the programme for the 1948 International Congress of Genetics in Stockholm. The congress committee, following revelations about the holocaust, made efforts to exclude speakers who defended eugenics programmes. However this was not completely successful. Tage Kemp, as shown above, gave an introductory address alongside Darlington and Haldane. Kemp was a longstanding defender of eugenic sterilisation legislation. Date: 1948 Source: International Congress of Genetics. (1948). Proceedings of the 8th International Congress of Genetics. © Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Programme_for_the_1948_International_Congress_of_Genetic... |
| Title | Punch cartoon of J.B.S. Haldane in India |
| Description | Punch cartoon of J.B.S. Haldane in India, framed in C.D. Darlington's collection with a mocking poem by P.M. Hubbard on the reverse. Haldane moved to India in 1957, following the Suez crisis, which he felt was the end of any moral high ground Britain and the West ever had. Darlington and Haldane, once close friends had fallen out by this point, and much of the British Press sought to ridicule Haldane for his decision. Date: c. 1957 Source: John Innes Centre Archives © John Innes Archives courtesy of the John Innes Foundation |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Punch_cartoon_of_J_B_S_Haldane_in_India/22839653/2 |
| Title | Punch cartoon of J.B.S. Haldane in India |
| Description | Punch cartoon of J.B.S. Haldane in India, framed in C.D. Darlington's collection with a mocking poem by P.M. Hubbard on the reverse. Haldane moved to India in 1957, following the Suez crisis, which he felt was the end of any moral high ground Britain and the West ever had. Darlington and Haldane, once close friends had fallen out by this point, and much of the British Press sought to ridicule Haldane for his decision. Date: c. 1957 Source: John Innes Centre Archives © John Innes Archives courtesy of the John Innes Foundation |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Punch_cartoon_of_J_B_S_Haldane_in_India/22839653 |
| Title | Ronald Aylmer Fisher (1890-1962) |
| Description | Ronald Aylmer Fisher was a British scientist known for his contributions to the fields of mathematics, statistics, genetics, biology, and evolutionary biology. Fisher is credited with laying the foundations for modern statistical science and is considered one of the three trailblazers of population genetics. Fisher's groundbreaking work in statistics revolutionized the field. He developed numerous statistical methods, including Fisher's exact test, Fisher's inequality, Fisher's principle, Fisher's linear discriminant, and Fisher's equation, among others. He also introduced the concept of maximum likelihood estimation and made significant contributions to the design of experiments. In genetics, Fisher combined mathematical and statistical approaches with Mendelian genetics and natural selection. His work played a crucial role in the development of the modern synthesis of evolutionary theory, which integrated genetics and natural selection. He proposed Fisher's principle, the Fisherian runaway hypothesis, and the sexy son hypothesis, which expanded our understanding of sexual selection. During his time at the Rothamsted Experimental Station, Fisher analyzed vast amounts of data from crop experiments and developed the analysis of variance (ANOVA), which is still widely used today. He was also a lifetime advocate of eugenics, serving as the Galton Professor of Eugenics at University College London. Today, he inspired contoversy, after a stained glass window dedicated to him was removed from Cambridge University, with debates ongoing as to whether or not his legacy should tarred by his involvement in eugenics and his friendship with the Nazi scientist, Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer. See Also: Photograph of Gathering at the John Innes Horticultural Institution in 1952 |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Ronald_Aylmer_Fisher_1890-1962_/22887302/2 |
| Title | Ronald Aylmer Fisher (1890-1962) |
| Description | Ronald Aylmer Fisher was a British scientist known for his contributions to the fields of mathematics, statistics, genetics, biology, and evolutionary biology. Fisher is credited with laying the foundations for modern statistical science and is considered one of the three trailblazers of population genetics. Fisher's groundbreaking work in statistics revolutionized the field. He developed numerous statistical methods, including Fisher's exact test, Fisher's inequality, Fisher's principle, Fisher's linear discriminant, and Fisher's equation, among others. He also introduced the concept of maximum likelihood estimation and made significant contributions to the design of experiments. In genetics, Fisher combined mathematical and statistical approaches with Mendelian genetics and natural selection. His work played a crucial role in the development of the modern synthesis of evolutionary theory, which integrated genetics and natural selection. He proposed Fisher's principle, the Fisherian runaway hypothesis, and the sexy son hypothesis, which expanded our understanding of sexual selection. During his time at the Rothamsted Experimental Station, Fisher analyzed vast amounts of data from crop experiments and developed the analysis of variance (ANOVA), which is still widely used today. He was also a lifetime advocate of eugenics, serving as the Galton Professor of Eugenics at University College London. Today, he inspired contoversy, after a stained glass window dedicated to him was removed from Cambridge University, with debates ongoing as to whether or not his legacy should tarred by his involvement in eugenics and his friendship with the Nazi scientist, Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer. See Also: Photograph of Gathering at the John Innes Horticultural Institution in 1952 |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Ronald_Aylmer_Fisher_1890-1962_/22887302 |
| Title | Science, Humanism and the making of Modern India |
| Description | An exhibition both physical and digital with 64 images complemented by two more exhibitions one on colonial anthropology and the second on the mangrove school project. The exhbition launch was attended by over 150 people in Kolkata and was a resounding success. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | Helping to highlight collections of the Botanical Survey of India to open these up to a wider public.To encourage the visit of school children from provincial and marginal schools in the Sundarbans and to engage them in dialogue with the scientists to explore problems so uncertainty and climate change |
| URL | https://www.sussex.ac.uk/broadcast/read/59585 |
| Title | Seating chart of New Year's Eve dinner organised by Nehru with Indian and international scientists, 1951 |
| Description | Seating chart of New Year's Eve dinner organised by Nehru with Indian and international scientists, gathered in Kolkata for the 44th Indian Science Congress. J.B.S. Haldane sits next to the eminent mathematician S.N. Bose, while Helen Spurway, Haldane's wife sits next to Jawaharlal Nehru. Both Haldanes moved to India 4 years later. Date: 31 December 1951 Source: Wellcome Collection Archives, Folder: HALDANE/5/7/5 © Wellcome Collection Archives. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Seating_chart_of_New_Year_s_Eve_dinner_organised_by_Nehr... |
| Title | Seating chart of New Year's Eve dinner organised by Nehru with Indian and international scientists, 1951 |
| Description | Seating chart of New Year's Eve dinner organised by Nehru with Indian and international scientists, gathered in Kolkata for the 44th Indian Science Congress. J.B.S. Haldane sits next to the eminent mathematician S.N. Bose, while Helen Spurway, Haldane's wife sits next to Jawaharlal Nehru. Both Haldanes moved to India 4 years later. Date: 31 December 1951 Source: Wellcome Collection Archives, Folder: HALDANE/5/7/5 © Wellcome Collection Archives. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Seating_chart_of_New_Year_s_Eve_dinner_organised_by_Nehr... |
| Title | Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology |
| Description | Slides from a talk by Darlington about race and anthropology. Darlington relied on information about Indian tribes from his former co-worker and long-term friend, Janaki Ammal. Author: C.D. Darlington Date: c.1950s © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Slides_for_a_Lecture_on_Anthropology/22837928/2 |
| Title | Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology |
| Description | Slides from a talk by Darlington about race and anthropology. Darlington relied on information about Indian tribes from his former co-worker and long-term friend, Janaki Ammal. Author: C.D. Darlington Date: c.1950s © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Slides_for_a_Lecture_on_Anthropology/22830623 |
| Title | Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology |
| Description | Slides from a talk by Darlington about race and anthropology. Darlington relied on information about Indian tribes from his former co-worker and long-term friend, Janaki Ammal. Author: C.D. Darlington Date: c.1950s © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Slides_for_a_Lecture_on_Anthropology/22830587 |
| Title | Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology |
| Description | Slides from a talk by Darlington about race and anthropology. Darlington relied on information about Indian tribes from his former co-worker and long-term friend, Janaki Ammal. Author: C.D. Darlington Date: c.1950s © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Slides_for_a_Lecture_on_Anthropology/22837928 |
| Title | Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology |
| Description | Slides from a talk by Darlington about race and anthropology. Darlington relied on information about Indian tribes from his former co-worker and long-term friend, Janaki Ammal. Author: C.D. Darlington Date: c.1950s © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Slides_for_a_Lecture_on_Anthropology/22830587/2 |
| Title | Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology |
| Description | Slides from a talk by Darlington about race and anthropology. Darlington relied on information about Indian tribes from his former co-worker and long-term friend, Janaki Ammal. Author: C.D. Darlington Date: c.1950s © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Slides_for_a_Lecture_on_Anthropology/22830485/2 |
| Title | Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology |
| Description | Slides from a talk by Darlington about race and anthropology. Darlington relied on information about Indian tribes from his former co-worker and long-term friend, Janaki Ammal. Author: C.D. Darlington Date: c.1950s © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Slides_for_a_Lecture_on_Anthropology/22830485 |
| Title | Slides for a Lecture on Anthropology |
| Description | Slides from a talk by Darlington about race and anthropology. Darlington relied on information about Indian tribes from his former co-worker and long-term friend, Janaki Ammal. Author: C.D. Darlington Date: c.1950s © John Innes Archives, courtesy of John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/Slides_for_a_Lecture_on_Anthropology/22830623/2 |
| Title | The 7th International Congress of Genetics Programme |
| Description | The 7th International Congress of Genetics programme. C.D. Darlington, Janaki Ammal and J.B.S. Haldane all attended. During the conference, participants from Germany, Poland and other European countries began to leave, as the Second World War broke out. Janaki Ammal was unable to return to India, and ultimately remained, working for the John Innes Horticultural Institution, then the Royal Horticultural Society. She did not return to India until 1948. Date: 1939 Source: The Journal of Heredity, Vol. 30, No. 2 (c) Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/The_7th_International_Congress_of_Genetics_Programme/228... |
| Title | The 7th International Congress of Genetics Programme |
| Description | The 7th International Congress of Genetics programme. C.D. Darlington, Janaki Ammal and J.B.S. Haldane all attended. During the conference, participants from Germany, Poland and other European countries began to leave, as the Second World War broke out. Janaki Ammal was unable to return to India, and ultimately remained, working for the John Innes Horticultural Institution, then the Royal Horticultural Society. She did not return to India until 1948. Date: 1939 Source: The Journal of Heredity, Vol. 30, No. 2 (c) Public Domain |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/The_7th_International_Congress_of_Genetics_Programme/228... |
| Title | The Botanical Survey of India |
| Description | The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) was established in 1890 with the primary aim of surveying the plant resources of the Indian empire. The BSI was instrumental in identifying, classifying, and documenting the diverse flora of the country. Over the years, the BSI has been a key contributor to the development of scientific research in plant biology in India.E.K. Janaki Ammal was instrumental in the transformation of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI). In her capacity as an Officer on Special Duty, she introduced a host of changes that rendered the BSI more organized and efficient. Her preliminary memorandum on the reorganisation of BSI underscored the need for a revitalized and restructured survey for better exploration and understanding of India's diverse flora. Later, as the director of the Central Botanical Laboratory, she continued to guide the institution to new heights of scientific achievement in the field of botany. See Also:Preface of Janaki Ammal's plan for reorganising the Botanical Survey of IndiaPhotograph of E.K. Janaki Ammal with a microscope |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/The_Botanical_Survey_of_India/22886936 |
| Title | The Botanical Survey of India |
| Description | The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) was established in 1890 with the primary aim of surveying the plant resources of the Indian empire. The BSI was instrumental in identifying, classifying, and documenting the diverse flora of the country. Over the years, the BSI has been a key contributor to the development of scientific research in plant biology in India.E.K. Janaki Ammal was instrumental in the transformation of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI). In her capacity as an Officer on Special Duty, she introduced a host of changes that rendered the BSI more organized and efficient. Her preliminary memorandum on the reorganisation of BSI underscored the need for a revitalized and restructured survey for better exploration and understanding of India's diverse flora. Later, as the director of the Central Botanical Laboratory, she continued to guide the institution to new heights of scientific achievement in the field of botany. See Also:Preface of Janaki Ammal's plan for reorganising the Botanical Survey of IndiaPhotograph of E.K. Janaki Ammal with a microscope |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/The_Botanical_Survey_of_India/22886936/1 |
| Title | The Ethical Union |
| Description | The British Humanist Association (BHA), known since 2017 as Humanists UK, is a charitable organization in the United Kingdom that promotes Humanism and secularism. It was originally formed in 1896 as the Union of Ethical Societies. The Union was founded by American Stanton Coit who was inspired by the ethical culture movement in the United States. The Union sought to promote a moral alternative to religious belief, focusing on human reason, ethics, social justice, and philosophical naturalism.Sir Julian Sorell Huxley, an English evolutionary biologist, eugenicist, and internationalist, served as the President of the British Humanist Association from 1963 to 1965. Huxley was a leading figure in the mid-20th century evolutionary synthesis, and his tenure at the BHA was marked by his efforts to promote humanism as a "religion of life" that held the potential for a new, non-theistic global morality. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/The_Ethical_Union/22887386/1 |
| Title | The Ethical Union |
| Description | The British Humanist Association (BHA), known since 2017 as Humanists UK, is a charitable organization in the United Kingdom that promotes Humanism and secularism. It was originally formed in 1896 as the Union of Ethical Societies. The Union was founded by American Stanton Coit who was inspired by the ethical culture movement in the United States. The Union sought to promote a moral alternative to religious belief, focusing on human reason, ethics, social justice, and philosophical naturalism.Sir Julian Sorell Huxley, an English evolutionary biologist, eugenicist, and internationalist, served as the President of the British Humanist Association from 1963 to 1965. Huxley was a leading figure in the mid-20th century evolutionary synthesis, and his tenure at the BHA was marked by his efforts to promote humanism as a "religion of life" that held the potential for a new, non-theistic global morality. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/The_Ethical_Union/22887386 |
| Title | The Indian Museum |
| Description | The Indian Museum, based in Kolkata, was founded in 1814. Its genesis was driven by the Asiatic Society of Bengal, a body of scholarly individuals who sought to document the rich history, culture, and natural history of India. The museum was the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, showcasing a variety of exhibits including archaeology, art, anthropology, and geology.The Indian Museum played an instrumental role in initiating several important surveys in the country, such as the Geological Survey of India, the Zoological Survey of India, and the Botanical Survey of India. These surveys were essential for documenting the diverse resources of India and were initiated from within the museum itself, before eventually growing into separate, autonomous organizations.Following India's independence in 1947, the Indian Museum underwent considerable changes in its ideology and function. The museum's mission shifted from being primarily a site of colonial knowledge gathering to a national institution aimed at fostering a sense of national identity and cultural heritage. It began focusing more on the representation and preservation of India's diverse cultural and natural heritage, playing a vital role in promoting Indian history, art, and natural history. See Also:Photograph of the Indian Museum, c. 1905 |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/The_Indian_Museum/22887017/1 |
| Title | The Indian Museum |
| Description | The Indian Museum, based in Kolkata, was founded in 1814. Its genesis was driven by the Asiatic Society of Bengal, a body of scholarly individuals who sought to document the rich history, culture, and natural history of India. The museum was the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, showcasing a variety of exhibits including archaeology, art, anthropology, and geology.The Indian Museum played an instrumental role in initiating several important surveys in the country, such as the Geological Survey of India, the Zoological Survey of India, and the Botanical Survey of India. These surveys were essential for documenting the diverse resources of India and were initiated from within the museum itself, before eventually growing into separate, autonomous organizations.Following India's independence in 1947, the Indian Museum underwent considerable changes in its ideology and function. The museum's mission shifted from being primarily a site of colonial knowledge gathering to a national institution aimed at fostering a sense of national identity and cultural heritage. It began focusing more on the representation and preservation of India's diverse cultural and natural heritage, playing a vital role in promoting Indian history, art, and natural history. See Also:Photograph of the Indian Museum, c. 1905 |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/The_Indian_Museum/22887017 |
| Title | The John Innes Cytology Department of 1952 |
| Description | This exhibit presents a photograph of the John Innes Cytology Department in 1952, featuring renowned cytologist C.D. Darlington. The presence of Ahraful Haque, originating from Dacca, demonstrates the international collaboration and diverse talent that characterized the John Innes Institute during that time. Ahraful Haque worked at the John Innes Horticultural Institute in the early 1950s, resigning in 1953. Author: L.S. Clarke Date: 1952 People Featured: L. Sachs, R. de Pienaar, A. Haque, R.D. Brock, J. McLeish, G.J. Dowrick, J. Morrison, J.B. Hair, L.F. La Cour, C.D. Darlington, A. Rutishauser Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL1/75 © John Innes Archives, courtesy of the John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/The_John_Innes_Cytology_Department_of_1952/22834175/2 |
| Title | The John Innes Cytology Department of 1952 |
| Description | This exhibit presents a photograph of the John Innes Cytology Department in 1952, featuring renowned cytologist C.D. Darlington. The presence of Ahraful Haque, originating from Dacca, demonstrates the international collaboration and diverse talent that characterized the John Innes Institute during that time. Ahraful Haque worked at the John Innes Horticultural Institute in the early 1950s, resigning in 1953. Author: L.S. Clarke Date: 1952 People Featured: L. Sachs, R. de Pienaar, A. Haque, R.D. Brock, J. McLeish, G.J. Dowrick, J. Morrison, J.B. Hair, L.F. La Cour, C.D. Darlington, A. Rutishauser Source: John Innes Centre Archives, Folder: JI/P/AL1/75 © John Innes Archives, courtesy of the John Innes Foundation. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/The_John_Innes_Cytology_Department_of_1952/22834175 |
| Title | UNESCO |
| Description | The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded with the aim of fostering international collaboration in education, science, and culture. This mission was largely shaped by its first Director-General, Sir Julian Sorell Huxley.Huxley played a critical role in defining the humanist philosophy of UNESCO, which focuses on human well-being and freedom, and aims for happiness and self-fulfilment. He proposed a holistic vision for the organization, which he coined as its 'scientific humanism'.At the core of UNESCO's humanist ideology is the belief in the dignity and autonomy of all humans, and the importance of improving humanity's social conditions. This ideology is reflected in UNESCO's three primary areas of focus:Education: UNESCO has worked to foster global educational collaboration and enhance learning opportunities worldwide. Its efforts have been particularly notable in post-World War II social sciences and in the reformation of education systems in former colonial regions as European empires collapsed.Science: UNESCO has contributed significantly to global scientific collaboration and innovation. It has placed an emphasis on involving young scientists and technicians in world-class research.Culture: Humanism, with its respect for cultural diversity and autonomy, underpins UNESCO's work in promoting intercultural understanding and protecting cultural heritage.One of UNESCO's landmark contributions was the 1951 Statement on Race, which opposed any form of racial segregation or discrimination. This statement, endorsed by many leading scientists of the time, established that all humans belong to the same species and that 'race' has no scientific basis. See Also:UNESCO Courier article for July-August 1950C.D. Darlington's copy of the 1951 UNESCO statement on racePhotograph of Humayun KabirJawaharlal Nehru profile in section 'Peace Begins in the Minds of Men' from UNESCO's The Courier journal |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/UNESCO/22886918 |
| Title | UNESCO |
| Description | The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded with the aim of fostering international collaboration in education, science, and culture. This mission was largely shaped by its first Director-General, Sir Julian Sorell Huxley.Huxley played a critical role in defining the humanist philosophy of UNESCO, which focuses on human well-being and freedom, and aims for happiness and self-fulfilment. He proposed a holistic vision for the organization, which he coined as its 'scientific humanism'.At the core of UNESCO's humanist ideology is the belief in the dignity and autonomy of all humans, and the importance of improving humanity's social conditions. This ideology is reflected in UNESCO's three primary areas of focus:Education: UNESCO has worked to foster global educational collaboration and enhance learning opportunities worldwide. Its efforts have been particularly notable in post-World War II social sciences and in the reformation of education systems in former colonial regions as European empires collapsed.Science: UNESCO has contributed significantly to global scientific collaboration and innovation. It has placed an emphasis on involving young scientists and technicians in world-class research.Culture: Humanism, with its respect for cultural diversity and autonomy, underpins UNESCO's work in promoting intercultural understanding and protecting cultural heritage.One of UNESCO's landmark contributions was the 1951 Statement on Race, which opposed any form of racial segregation or discrimination. This statement, endorsed by many leading scientists of the time, established that all humans belong to the same species and that 'race' has no scientific basis. See Also:UNESCO Courier article for July-August 1950C.D. Darlington's copy of the 1951 UNESCO statement on racePhotograph of Humayun KabirJawaharlal Nehru profile in section 'Peace Begins in the Minds of Men' from UNESCO's The Courier journal |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/UNESCO/22886918/1 |
| Title | UNESCO Courier article for July-August 1950 |
| Description | UNESCO Courier article for July-August 1950, to announce UNESCO's statement on race, released the following year. Date: August 1950 Source: UNESCO Courier, July-August, 1950. © UNESCO Courier. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/UNESCO_Courier_article_for_July-August_1950/22839683/2 |
| Title | UNESCO Courier article for July-August 1950 |
| Description | UNESCO Courier article for July-August 1950, to announce UNESCO's statement on race, released the following year. Date: August 1950 Source: UNESCO Courier, July-August, 1950. © UNESCO Courier. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/UNESCO_Courier_article_for_July-August_1950/22839683 |
| Title | UNESCO Statement on Race |
| Description | Since 1949, UNESCO has issued several statements addressing the complex issues surrounding race, including the Statement on Race (1950), the Statement on the Nature of Race and Race Differences (1951), the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1963), the Statement on Race and Racial Prejudice (1967), the Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice (1978), and the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance (1995). The first statement was drafted in an attempt to contradict the influence of racist propaganda on global scientific movements, and to ensure that the eugenic pseudoscience of Nazi Germany would not be tolerated within scientific communities again. The statement drew upon the humanist ideals of dignity, equality and respect for all humans, and attempted to lay to rest the belief that there was a biological justification for racial inequality. Julian Huxley, newly appointed the first director of UNESCO had made a similar attempt in 1935, with his book, We Europeans. In this, he explored the history of notions of race, and attempted to dispell some of the myths that were sweeping through Europe at the time. This book was met with criticism in the British scientific community, notably R. Ruggles Gates and C.D. Darlington, who saw it as a work of propaganda, that did not reflect the consensus within science and had been written by a zoologist with little background in genetics. For this statement, therefore, it was essential that it would be accurate, international, collaborative and agreed upon only by a sweeping consensus of the scientific community. The original draft followed a 1949 meeting between Morris Ginsberg, Humayun Kabir, Juan Comas, Ernest Beaglehole, Luiz de Aguiar Costa Pinto, Franklin Frazier, Claude Levi-Strauss, and M.F. Ashley-Montagu, with Ashley-Montagu writing the first draft. For the next two years, the statement went through a number of revisions, after consulting with a number of renowned scientists, including J.B.S. Haldane, Joseph Needham, Julian Huxley, Theodosius Dobzhansky, H.J. Muller, Curt Stern and Otto Klineberg, until it was finally published in 1951. In 1952, UNESCO published another revised statement, along with a book of criticisms of the statement, including the criticisms of C.D. Darlington. This final version, while accepted by a great many scientists internationally, continued to receive criticism from pockets of British geneticists, particularly those who had close ties with the Eugenic Society. Despite attempts to respond to their criticisms, Darlington and Gates remained critical of the statement, UNESCO and Huxley. Darlington argued that intelligence and emotions are influenced by race, and Gates believed that there were unpredictable dangers in interracial marriages, both with little evidence. In 1960, Gates contributed to the launch of the journal Mankind Quarterly, an attempt to counterbalance the new egalitarian science movement. The journal was widely slated as a work of "scientific racism", and began to attact fewer and fewer scientific contributors. Image Source: The Bodleian Archives, Folder: MSS Darlington, E181, © Reproduced with permission of C.D. Darlington's family. See Also: C.D. Darlington's copy of the 1951 UNESCO statement on race |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/UNESCO_Statement_on_Race/22887548 |
| Title | UNESCO Statement on Race |
| Description | Since 1949, UNESCO has issued several statements addressing the complex issues surrounding race, including the Statement on Race (1950), the Statement on the Nature of Race and Race Differences (1951), the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1963), the Statement on Race and Racial Prejudice (1967), the Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice (1978), and the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance (1995). The first statement was drafted in an attempt to contradict the influence of racist propaganda on global scientific movements, and to ensure that the eugenic pseudoscience of Nazi Germany would not be tolerated within scientific communities again. The statement drew upon the humanist ideals of dignity, equality and respect for all humans, and attempted to lay to rest the belief that there was a biological justification for racial inequality. Julian Huxley, newly appointed the first director of UNESCO had made a similar attempt in 1935, with his book, We Europeans. In this, he explored the history of notions of race, and attempted to dispell some of the myths that were sweeping through Europe at the time. This book was met with criticism in the British scientific community, notably R. Ruggles Gates and C.D. Darlington, who saw it as a work of propaganda, that did not reflect the consensus within science and had been written by a zoologist with little background in genetics. For this statement, therefore, it was essential that it would be accurate, international, collaborative and agreed upon only by a sweeping consensus of the scientific community. The original draft followed a 1949 meeting between Morris Ginsberg, Humayun Kabir, Juan Comas, Ernest Beaglehole, Luiz de Aguiar Costa Pinto, Franklin Frazier, Claude Levi-Strauss, and M.F. Ashley-Montagu, with Ashley-Montagu writing the first draft. For the next two years, the statement went through a number of revisions, after consulting with a number of renowned scientists, including J.B.S. Haldane, Joseph Needham, Julian Huxley, Theodosius Dobzhansky, H.J. Muller, Curt Stern and Otto Klineberg, until it was finally published in 1951. In 1952, UNESCO published another revised statement, along with a book of criticisms of the statement, including the criticisms of C.D. Darlington. This final version, while accepted by a great many scientists internationally, continued to receive criticism from pockets of British geneticists, particularly those who had close ties with the Eugenic Society. Despite attempts to respond to their criticisms, Darlington and Gates remained critical of the statement, UNESCO and Huxley. Darlington argued that intelligence and emotions are influenced by race, and Gates believed that there were unpredictable dangers in interracial marriages, both with little evidence. In 1960, Gates contributed to the launch of the journal Mankind Quarterly, an attempt to counterbalance the new egalitarian science movement. The journal was widely slated as a work of "scientific racism", and began to attact fewer and fewer scientific contributors. Image Source: The Bodleian Archives, Folder: MSS Darlington, E181, © Reproduced with permission of C.D. Darlington's family. See Also: C.D. Darlington's copy of the 1951 UNESCO statement on race |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/UNESCO_Statement_on_Race/22887548/2 |
| Title | William Bateson's Diagram of Pea Heredity |
| Description | This exhibit showcases William Bateson's iconic diagram of pea heredity, featured in his book "Mendel's Principles of Heredity" published in 1926. The diagram was specifically designed to illustrate the principles of Mendelian genetics. Bateson, a renowned British geneticist and evolutionary biologist, played a pivotal role in popularizing Mendel's work and establishing it as the foundation of modern genetics. The diagram showcases the outcomes of a breeding experiment between yellow wrinkled (YW) and green round (GR) peas over two generations, providing a visual representation of Mendelian genetics in action. Bateson's diagram visually conveys the inheritance patterns of specific traits, highlighting the presence of dominant and recessive alleles in the offspring. By presenting the outcomes of controlled breeding experiments, this diagram demonstrates the principles of Mendelian genetics and how traits are passed down from one generation to the next. Author: William Bateson Date: 1909, Source: Bateson, W. (1909). Mendel's Principles of Heredity. Cambridge University Press. © Public Domain. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/William_Bateson_s_Diagram_of_Pea_Heredity/22829948/2 |
| Title | William Bateson's Diagram of Pea Heredity |
| Description | This exhibit showcases William Bateson's iconic diagram of pea heredity, featured in his book "Mendel's Principles of Heredity" published in 1926. The diagram was specifically designed to illustrate the principles of Mendelian genetics. Bateson, a renowned British geneticist and evolutionary biologist, played a pivotal role in popularizing Mendel's work and establishing it as the foundation of modern genetics. The diagram showcases the outcomes of a breeding experiment between yellow wrinkled (YW) and green round (GR) peas over two generations, providing a visual representation of Mendelian genetics in action. Bateson's diagram visually conveys the inheritance patterns of specific traits, highlighting the presence of dominant and recessive alleles in the offspring. By presenting the outcomes of controlled breeding experiments, this diagram demonstrates the principles of Mendelian genetics and how traits are passed down from one generation to the next. Author: William Bateson Date: 1909, Source: Bateson, W. (1909). Mendel's Principles of Heredity. Cambridge University Press. © Public Domain. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| URL | https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/figure/William_Bateson_s_Diagram_of_Pea_Heredity/22829948 |
| Description | The primary goal of the project was to explore the role of India in a global context of the scientific and philosophical networks of the 1930s the period Julian Huxley dubbed the Modern Synthesis. Rather than the vibrant, productive, interdisciplinary landscape that Huxley describes, we discovered the influence of western hierarchies of knowledge and hegemony of expertise, leading to a homogeneity of ideas and a proliferation of racist and eugenicist assumptions, which were not fully challenged until Indian Independence and the growing antiracist movement, exemplified by UNESCO in the late 1940s and early 50s. Research for this project successfully met all 5 objectives of the proposal. The first objective was to explore the nature of the colonial relationships at the heart of these scientific networks in U.K. and India, identifying key voices in the conversations, the modes of conversation and the influence of power dynamics and assumptions of authority within the networks. In this respect, we identified a number of key relationships which shaped the scientific and political exchanges between Britain and India. In particular, the influence of Julian Huxley, J.B.S. Haldane, C.D. Darlington and Reginald Ruggles Gates on Influential Indian scientists, including E.K. Janaki Ammal, Birbal Sahni, T.S. Venkataraman and P.C. Mahalanobis. The Influence on scientific ideas even spread to Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first premier through conversations with Haldane and Ammal, shaping the scientific philosophy of post-colonial India. The ways in which the communication of this knowledge took place was through studentships, conferences and societies, the latter two worked as spaces of socialisation and discourse. Drawing on De Solla Price's model of invisible colleges, we stress the importance of these platforms over that of publications, as spaces for rapid and constructive debate and knowledge exchange. The role of Indians within specific global conferences was found to be particularly significant and formed the backbone of our public exhibition that was curated on the findings of our research and which is ongoing in Kolkata at the Botanical Survey of India gallery of the Indian Museum.. The second objective was to detail the role of India and outline specific stories of science that relate to individuals, places in the context of significant geopolitical events such as the second world war, and Indian independence and the ways in which these have had an effect on global perspectives on race, ecology and eugenics, culminating in UNESCO's attempts to create an anti-racist science. Our findings placed early 20th century Kolkata at the heart of many of these movements, both as the location of the landmark 1938 Indian Science Congress and as the site for a humanist nationalism exemplified by Rabindranath Tagore, which went on to influence Nehru in his humanist understanding of scientific progress Indian institutions such as the Bose Institute, the Indian Statistical Institute under the auspices of JCBose and Mahalonbis embedded these ideas of scientific humanism further in a post-colonial Indian context with implications for other newly emergent post-colonial countries. India's role in the founding of UNESCO and the writing of the 1951 Statement on Race, which has been underexplored was highlighted in our research, through the influence of Humayun Kabir, Nehru and Amrit Kaur. The third objective was to highlight the importance of environmental ideas to these global debates on science, humanism and nature by focusing on indigenous knowledge and discussions of ethnobotany, conservation and environmental concerns within these these networks. The role of Janaki Ammal was central to this, as a proponent of ethnobotany, whose involvement in the 1955 Chicago conference one of the first 20th-century conferences that challenged anthropocentrism on Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth stressed the importance of indigenous knowledge to the future of humanity and the planet. As appointed to reorganise the Botanical Survey of India, she also stressed the need to properly catalogue ethnobotany in India and became a significant figure in protests against dam building in the Silent Valley in Kerala establishing a global tradition of environmental protest that underlined an interdisciplinary approach to the environment leading to the emergence of modern environmentalism that included common people, forest dwellers, agriculturalists, botanists, zoologists, physicists and poets. The fourth objective was to measure the impact of these debates on a wider society in Britain and India both then and now, including the UNESCO statement of race, the impact on the uptake of the humanist movement in Britain and on scientific humanism and its lasting scientific legacy in India. Our research explored UNESCO's outreach programme in propagating its antiracist and humanist vision of science. The bilateral relationship of influence between Nehru and UNESCO resulted in independent India prioritising science, education and culture, evidenced by Nehru's appointment of Kabir, who had participated in writing UNESCO's Statement on Race, as his Minister of Education. We also explore how this influenced India's education policy in a newly independent context. An associated project was the mangrove school project where school children from marginalised communities visited the exhibition and engaged with it. They also co-curated their own exhibition in the same venue which outlined the impact of climate change in the delta through children's paintings challenging experts views. The exhibition led to new understandings and debates about science, knowledge creation and co-production and was an important art of the outcome of the original exhibition. We are now extending our collaboration with the Botanical Survey of India with regard to the Wardle collection of natural dyes held in their library and developing links with the mangrove school project so that the children are able to learn techniques of natural dying for their workshops and with the scientists of the Botanical Survey who will explain the collection and highlight its importance. The fifth objective was to uncover the hidden history of a major British institute, the JIC, to improve peer learning and public understanding of science including the culture and history of that science with a view to decolonise the history of science. As a centre for global genetics training, John Innes Horticultural Institute (now John Innes Centre) became a space for international science at the heart of many of these debates. With alumni including Janaki Ammal, Darlington and Haldane, the collections at John Innes formed a large part of both our archival research and the exhibits in our public exhibition. Through these collections, we were able to detail the nature of international relationships, including implicit power dynamics, such as those between Darlington and Janaki Ammal. By acknowledging these hidden histories of science (such as outlining Janaki Ammal's specific contributions to these scientific movements), the decolonisation of collections and institutions such as JIC is made possible. |
| Exploitation Route | These findings will inform historians, scientists and social scientists, giving valuable context to this period of history and the nature of interdisciplinary debate at the heart of the genetics research of the time. This research can be taken forward by historians using interdisciplinary methodologies from anthropology, botany, cytology, eugenics environmentalism, as well as education and political philosophy. The epistemological frameworks of invisible colleges and the role of conferences in scientific and philosophical discourse will also allow social scientists dealing with similar contemporary issues to trace the historical context of their research. The engagement with the exhibition extended to school children from marginalised communities and environments resulting in new understandings about knowledge creation and the role of the scientist or expert. The story of the role of India and the development of anti-racist science under the auspices of UNESCO underlines the importance of global governance institutions such as UNESCO in a post-war post-colonial context. This provides a very fruitful terrain for further research for other scholars who want to extend the narrative to other parts of the world mainly Brazil in the 1950s and the role of Brazilian scientists in the movement towards an anti-racist science. It also feeds into global debates on the history of science in colonial and post-colonial contexts, the discourse of modernity and post-colonial nationalism in a variety of different geographical contexts and for India in particular Nehruvian ideas and visions of modernity. The exhibition both physical and digital and the conference is aimed at bringing the outcomes of this funding to a wider local, national, and international audience. |
| Sectors | Environment Government Democracy and Justice Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://www.sussex.ac.uk/cweh/newsandevents/index?id=59585 |
| Description | As a key output of the project, the public exhibition in the Indian Museum, Kolkata, has communicated hidden local histories of science and their role in significant international movements to an audience of specialists and non-specialists, including local school children, whose visit to the exhibition was facilitated by Sussex, through another project, the Mangrove School project. The online exhibition, was launched in June bringing this research to a greater audience and will be linked to the British Library and John Innes Centre websites. We have now extended this collaboration with the Botanical Survey through the Mangrove school project and are introducing the children to the unique collection of Natural dyes held in the Wardle collection of the Botanical Survey of India The exhibition brought renewed interest in the Industrial Section of the Indian Museum and to one gallery which had until recently been closed to the public. In bringing this exhibition of local interest to the gallery, we have prompted the Botanical Survey of India to curate an additional two exhibitions which will form part of their permanent collections going forward. As part of the project, we also arranged two conferences, both of which had a large number of university students in attendance, and gave a platform to a number of Indian early career researchers and post-graduate students, who have benefitted from these conferences in sharing their research and allowing them to forge valuable networks with more senior and established historians and social scientists. The January conference had a large number of Botanical Survey of India scientists in attendance, who benefited from the historical contextualisation of their own institution and by opening up their collections to the wider public. The engagement of school children with the exhibition was facilitated through an exhibition of children's paintings from the delta in the context of climate change, the mangrove school project. This led to the questioning of expert and scientific knowledge and to debates on the co-creation of knowledge In July we facilitated a trip to the UK for the Scientist-in-Charge of the Industrial Section of the Indian Museum. This trip included visits to the Natural History Museum, the John Innes Centre and Kew, at each of which he was able to gain insight into current British techniques of collection conservation, much of which he aims to implement in the Industrial Section. Our partnership with the John Innes Centre has allowed us to stress the importance of the collections of this valuable resource of archival material. We are currently talking to the John Innes Centre about the possibility of bringing our exhibition to the John Innes Centre complex, allowing them to showcase their institutional history and its intersection with some significant movements in global history. Within academia, the focus of this project on a particular hidden history restores the crucial role of India within this period of scientific history. This feeds into history of science, global history and other social sciences, as well as leading to a decolonial perspective on the science of genetics. This project has challenged the traditional interpretation of a history of genetics primarily concerned with a small number of "great men of science", by exploring the way in which knowledge is created, and the undervalued influence of Indian scientists including a woman scientist E.K. Janaki Ammal to these debates. We hope that our approach to global interdisciplinary approach to the history of science will be taken up by other academics and researchers. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
| Sector | Environment,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Policy & public services |
| Description | Our engagement with the Botanical survey of India has been enhanced. We engaged closely with the director of the botanical gallery in the Indian Museum, Dr Manas Bhaumick and Dr Anandita Saha in JUne 2022 and arranged a tour of visits to Kew garden, the Natural History Museum and the John Innes centre. In his reprt Dr Bhaumick and Dr saha spoke about how these visits has transformed their mode of thinking about public facing exhibitions and displays. This was an important capacity building exercise building on long standing networks. As part of a capacity building exercise we invited him to Sussex, along with the curator of our exhibition Dr Saha preliminary to our exhibition |
| Geographic Reach | Asia |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | Science collections in India normally are not open to the public. Our long interaction with the Botanical Survey of India has opened up their collections to a wider public and developed new links with institutions of scientific expertise in Britain such as Kew, the John Innes Centre, the British Library, The Royal Pavilion gardens in Brighton and the Natural History Museum. By encouraging and hosting visits between the two organizations, scientific practice in both India and Britain are enhanced leading to a decolonisation of the natural history collections of empire. We are now engaged with bringing school children from marginal environments to view this exhibition and engage with the content. |
| URL | https://www.sussex.ac.uk/broadcast/read/59585 |
| Description | AHRC Impact Acceleration Account |
| Amount | £491,679 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | AH/X003582/1 |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2022 |
| End | 03/2025 |
| Description | AHRC follow on funding for Impact and Engagement |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2016 |
| End | 09/2017 |
| Description | Canadian Social Science Research Council Grant |
| Amount | $100,000 (CAD) |
| Organisation | Government of Canada |
| Department | SSHRC - Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Canada |
| Start | 08/2014 |
| End | 03/2015 |
| Description | Norwegian Research Council |
| Amount | £30,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) |
| Department | Noragric, Norwegian University of Life Sciences |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | Norway |
| Start | 08/2015 |
| End | 01/2017 |
| Description | SSHRC Canadian Social Science Research Council |
| Amount | $200,000 (CAD) |
| Organisation | Government of Canada |
| Department | SSHRC - Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Canada |
| Start | 08/2019 |
| End | 08/2022 |
| Description | Sussex Research fund |
| Amount | £42,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Sussex |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2018 |
| End | 04/2020 |
| Title | our current project builds on the Mangrove school project and aims to educate for the Anthropocene. This new methodology is being refined through a series of workshops that engage with school children and their understandings of nature in the age of the anthropocene |
| Description | Our current mangrove school project builds on bottom-up understandings of climate change in a fragile delta region of the world. The project is to develop a non-instrumentalist approach to education in the age of the Anthropocene. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | we are having a range of stakeholder meetings in Sundarbans, Kolkata and are now taking these ideas to other parts of India, Ecuador and the Caribbean. |
| URL | https://www.sussex.ac.uk/webteam/gateway/file.php?name=mangrove-school-project-press-release-short-(... |
| Description | Appraising risk, past and present: interrogating historical data to enhance understanding of environmental crises in the Indian ocean world Funder: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Grant number: N/A |
| Organisation | McGill University |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We work closely with McGill on this collecting data on Indian ocean world climate and human interaction at specific points in time. We also ran a very successful summer school in May 2021.The Appraising Risk Partnership's 1st Summer School Workshop was conducted on the 26th and 27th May via Zoom. It was organised by the Centre for World Environmental History (CWEH) at the University of Sussex, as part of the Appraising Risk Partnership funded by the Canadian Social Science Research Council and with collaboration from the McGill University, the British Library, the University of Hull and the Met Office. 44 participants, mainly early career researchers, registered for the sessions from India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Germany, U.K, Australia and Canada. Attendance for each day was good, with approximately 45 attendees on each day (including the 7 speakers/organisers). The theme of day 1, chaired by Vinita Damodaran was "Environmental Archives". The first half comprised 3x 20-minute presentations from Antonia Moon (British Library), Rob Allan (Met Office) and Greg Bankoff (University of Hull/University of Sussex), entitled respectively, "Some sources for meteorology in the India Office Records and related collections", "ACRE's experiences with Indian Ocean World archives and their uses" and "Climate and the Environmental Historian". The second half comprised a 40-minute workshop that drew on some of the themes from the presentations, run by Vinita Damodaran and Mike Rayner. The participants had been given 9 primary source extracts, relating to 3 case studies, in advance of the session, as well as secondary source material for optional further reading. The case studies related to (1) the 1864 Calcutta Cyclone, (2) the 1877-1878 El Niño and Madras famine, and (3) the 1944-1945 Pacific Typhoon. In break-out rooms of 4-5 participants they were instructed to discuss one of the case studies and answer questions about the sources. A padlet was provided as a platform to exchange ideas/ask questions, and each group was asked to share their conclusions with the larger group at the end. The theme of day 2, chaired by Mick Frogley, was "Climate of the Indian Ocean World: practical application". The first half comprised a demonstration by Melissa Lazenby of the KNMI Climate Explorer software (https://climexp.knmi.nl/start.cgi), exploring data from the Calcutta Cyclone case study. In the second half, participants were divided into breakout rooms of 5-6 participants, and were given exercises to complete using KNMI based on either case study 2 or case study 3. Following this, https://www.sussex.ac.uk/cweh/ |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborators who work together on conferences, and publications on India and the Indian Ocean World include Margaret E.R. Kalacska - McGill University Co-PI Isaac N. Luginaah - McGill University Co-PI Angela Schottenhammer - KU leuven Co-PI Jon Unruh - McGill University Co-PI Julia Verne - Guttenberg University Co-PI James F. Warren - Murdoch university Co-PI |
| Impact | Summer school Publications Further grant applications Conferences |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Extended collaboration with the Botanical Survey of India |
| Organisation | The Botanical Survey of India |
| Country | India |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | We are now working together on a project on Natural dyes highlighting their natural history collections. This project delves into the intricate web of global plant movement and its profound influence on Indian garden culture, highlighting the reciprocal exchange between India and the wider world. India, a biodiversity hotspot, played a pivotal role in fuelling European expansion by providing economically valuable species like spices, cotton, and indigo. Simultaneously, India received diverse botanical imports, including Mahogany, Oil Palm, and the Giant Water Lily, from regions such as the Caribbean, South America, and Africa. These botanical migrations, driven by economic and scientific interests, fundamentally reshaped Indian landscapes and cultural practices. A significant aspect of this exchange is the rich tradition of natural dyes in India, evidenced by historical archives and the invaluable Wardle collection. This tradition, encompassing Indigo, Madder, and animal-derived Kermes, extended beyond textiles to encompass medicine and warfare, illustrating the deep integration of plants into the Indian cultural fabric. Thomas Wardle's 1885 expedition, commissioned by the colonial government to investigate Indian sericulture, led to a comprehensive exploration of India's natural dye resources. His meticulous experiments, conducted at the Indian Museum, yielded over 3,000 shades from 64 native plants, documented in his 15-volume 'Fabrics dyed with Indian Dyes'. The preservation of this collection, particularly the digitized volumes held by the Botanical Survey of India, is crucial for safeguarding this invaluable natural asset. The project further explores the contemporary relevance of this historical exchange through the "Nature as Curriculum" approach, exemplified by the Mangrove School Project. This initiative immerses students in their local ecosystem, fostering ecological awareness and cultural preservation. The project's success, demonstrated by students' enthusiasm for natural dye workshops and indigenous medicinal knowledge, underscores the enduring importance of reconnecting with heritage and the environment. This research highlights the enduring significance of botanical exchange, both historically and in contemporary educational practices, emphasizing the critical need to preserve traditional knowledge and ecological awareness in the face of global change. The paper calls for the continued conservation of historical records and the revitalization of traditional practices to ensure the legacy of India's plant heritage endures for future generations. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have provided personnel for the project and space for the school children to engage with the Wardle collection and any future museum display. |
| Impact | The Mangrove school project: Untold stories of children from the margins 20 Feb 2025River Delta Futures: Endangered Communities in Audiovisual Media pp. 81-102 Co-authors: Saha A, Damodaran V |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Gwillim project |
| Organisation | McGill University |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Worked on the environment and climate of south India in the period of the sisters. My contribution was to the environmental history dimension of the project. I have also contributed to the edited collection of this project entitled, Women, Environment, and Networks of Empire: Elizabeth Gwillim and Mary Symonds in Madras |
| Collaborator Contribution | McGill University was given a large grant to digitise and work on the collection of the sisters. This was a major initiative and one that we learnt a great deal from |
| Impact | Blogs Conferences Publication Reports |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Hidden histories of science |
| Organisation | John Innes Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We highlighted the collections held in the JOhn Innes Centre mainly photographs and archives and brought it to a public audience through an exhibition in Kolkata |
| Collaborator Contribution | The John Innes centre and the Librarian were very helpful and contributed their expertise to the exhibition in the form of identifying key material and photographic images. We had 64 images for our exhibition |
| Impact | A public-facing exhibition on Science and the making of Modern India in Kolkata that was inaugurated on the 7th of January and is still running at the botanical survey of India gallery of the Indian Museum. A digital exhibition was also inaugurated this year https://www.sussex.ac.uk/cweh/research/science-humanism-and-the-making-of-modern-india |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Tobago school project |
| Organisation | University of West Indies |
| Department | Seismic Research Centre |
| Country | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As part of the AHRC-funded product on Hidden Histories of Science, we developed our school project to engage children from marginal communities with the natural history collections of the Botanical Survey of India. This has now become a successful project. We are now trialing this project in Tobago to engage school children with the Main Ridge Forest Reserve established as a UNESCO biodiversity centre in 2020. The project will engage academics, foresters, and the local government to develop forms of engagement between school children and their environment. |
| Collaborator Contribution | My partners the University of the West Indies and Tobago Museum will add their expertise and provide space for meetings we are hoping to engage in September 2024 |
| Impact | This is a new project that has developed as an offshoot of an earlier project. As an environmental historian of the tropics I am very interested in working with Tobago insitutions such as the Tobago museum, the Tobago forest department in charge of the Ridge forest, local botanists and local schools to shed light and disseminate knowledge on early environmentalism (the Tobago reserve being a very early example of forest conservation) and the importance of the Ridge forest to current debates about climate change. Important in this context is to highlight the work of Alexander Anderson the English naturalist and the botanical art of John Tyley whose painitings are currently held in the Linnean Society ad the Natural History Museum in London. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Digital online exhibition |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The online exhibition , Science, Humanism and the making of modern India was launched at the end of 2023. It has received 281 visitors to date including a large number of school children |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| URL | https://www.sussex.ac.uk/cweh/research/science-humanism-and-the-making-of-modern-india |
| Description | Public facing exhibition |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | The public-facing exhibition in Kolkata and the two-day-long workshop was attended by 160 people who were very happy with the outcomes. It generated huge interest and debate in science and human values among a range of people. School children from the marginal area of the Sundarbans delta attended the workshop and also presented their work on climate change and uncertainty through a range of art work including paintings |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.sussex.ac.uk/broadcast/read/59585 |