The National Trust will launch a year-long program in honor of the “genius” Sir Isaac Newton, whose connection to slavery has recently been noted by scientists.
The Trust, faced with a rebellion by members who accuse it of a “watchful” stance, will avoid direct attention to Newton’s ties to colonialism when the events take place at his home on the Woolsthorpe estate.
At the core of the organization’s activities in 2023 will be a celebration of “curiosity and creativity” at a Lincolnshire country house dubbed “the birthplace of modern science.”
In 2020, the trust was embroiled in controversy when it produced a report that explored links between charity property and colonialism, including links to historical slavery. Ministers criticized the decision to include Sir Winston Churchill’s childhood home, Chartwell.
Newton’s links to colonialism and slavery were brought to the attention of engineering students as part of the decolonization campaign at the University of Sheffield.
The mathematician and astronomer, like many of his contemporaries, owned shares in a company set up to transport slaves to Spanish America. He lost heavily when the South Sea Bubble burst in 1720 and the share price plummeted.
Asked if Newton’s celebration would highlight these connections, a spokesman for the National Trust said: “We take Newton’s Annus mirabilis and the discoveries he made at Woolsthorpe Manor during its ‘isolation’ in 1665-1666 as the start of our celebration. new talents and discoveries over the years.
“The aim of the campaign is not to provide a historical account of Newton’s life, nor does it go beyond the ‘annus mirabilis’ and Woolsthorpe’s formative years.”
Woolsthorpe has a garden where, after seeing an apple fall from a tree, Newton was inspired to formulate his law of universal gravitation.
Newton made his discoveries after being sent to Woolsthorpe to escape the Great Plague in 1666, and the Trust program will “shine light on the creativity that has sprung from our own castles”, with a children’s prize to be awarded to the “next generation” . “Thinkers and innovators where they are,” they confirmed. “.
Hilary McGrady, the fund’s CEO, said the conservation organization is “back to doing what we do best” after campaigners accused the fund of “waking up” and being forced to take off due to losses from Covid , paying £170m to leave. stay.
The Foundation will also display political cartoons depicting Sir Winston Churchill at his family home in Chartwell to mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Britain’s leading 18th century leader.e portrait painter of the century.
“His magnificent paintings in the Foundation’s collection are being re-examined and preserved,” the agency said.
Reynolds’ biography at the National Gallery includes an entry “Links to Slavery”, which mentions the presence of a former slave black servant in the artist’s home.
Downplaying these associations could help heal after an anti-Walk “rebel” group attempted to seize control of the trust during a tumultuous annual meeting last November.
The group objected to the charity’s approach to removing historical links to the slave trade and its approach to gay and transgender rights.
The Trust hopes to bring back discussion of its core conservation mission in its 2023 agenda. Ms McGrady said: “We want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to experience nature, beauty and history in the spirit in which we were founded.”
“Our ambitious conservation program continues and we continue to help nature thrive. Our 2023 program has something for everyone, from beavers and flowers to Sir Joshua Reynolds.”
The Foundation’s longest running project to date is finally coming to an end: 13 Elizabethan tapestries purchased by Bess Hardwicke, which took a total of 24 years to restore, are returning to Hardwicke Hall.
The coronation of King Charles in May will be celebrated with special events on the grounds of the Foundation, and Poet Laureate Simon Armitage will write new poetry in honor of the Foundation’s annual Blossom Campaign.
New six part BBC series. Treasures of the National Trust“will shed light on delicate conservation and intriguing historical narratives, and put staff and volunteers in the spotlight.”
Source: I News
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