Why do we collect? Art, antiques, books, watches, vinyl, Lego – even bottles of Listerine. What makes one object worth keeping while another is not?
For one exclusive evening, Hatfield House invites you to explore the art and psychology of collecting, taking one of the House’s remarkable treasures – the Hatfield Park Rock Crystal – as a fascinating starting point.
Begin the evening with a Champagne reception in the Long Gallery, where you will have the opportunity to view the Rock Crystal before the lecture. Then take your seat in the magnificent Marble Hall as our distinguished panel explores its possible provenance and acquisition, the history of collecting across the centuries, and the psychology behind why we are drawn to collect in the first place.
From the early Cecils and the treasures they acquired to the collections we create today, The Art of Collecting is an opportunity to look more closely at the objects we value – and consider what our desire to collect might reveal about us.
Friday 25 September | 5:45pm – 9:00pm | Hatfield House | £50 per person
At the heart of the evening is the Rock Crystal, one of the treasures of the House – a remarkable collection of finely carved rock crystal pieces, some of which were inherited by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, from his father, Lord Burghley.
Guests will have the opportunity to see the Rock Crystal in the Long Gallery before and after the lecture, while our panel considers its history and possible provenance within the wider story of collecting.
The evening brings together historical expertise and contemporary psychology, looking not only at what people collect, but why.
Collections can take many forms. Alongside historic works of art and precious objects, our discussion will reach right into the present day – from Lego models to Listerine mouthwash.
You do not need to be a collector to enjoy the evening. The discussion explores something much broader – why we become attached to objects, how we decide what has value and what the things we collect can reveal about us.
Tickets are £50 per person and places are limited.
Dr Timothy Schroder
DrTimothy Schroder is a historian and lecturer specialising in silver and goldsmiths’ work, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.
A former President of the Silver Society, former Consultant Curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum and former trustee of the Wallace Collection, he has also served two terms as Prime Warden of The Goldsmiths’ Company.
His publications include British and Continental Gold and Silver in the Ashmolean Museum and ‘A Marvel to Behold’: Gold and Silver at the Court of Henry VIII.
Dr Susan Bracken, FSA
Dr Susan Bracken specialises in seventeenth-century collecting and continues to research the ways in which collections have been created, displayed and understood.
She is one of the convenors of the Collecting & Display seminar at the Institute of Historical Research, has co-edited six books on collecting and display, and lectures regularly at the Victoria and Albert Museum and elsewhere.
Tom White
Tom White is a Psychology PhD researcher at the University of Warwick whose work explores the psychology behind collecting.
His research looks at how identity, individual differences and our perceptions of value influence the decisions we make about collectable objects.
He is also an avid collector himself, with collections ranging from Lego models to Listerine mouthwash – bringing a distinctly contemporary perspective to an instinct that has fascinated collectors for centuries.
Friday 25th September
5:45pm
Arrive at Hatfield House and spend time admiring the Rock Crystal, with a Champagne reception in the Long Gallery.
6:30pm
The Art of Collecting lecture begins in the Marble Hall.
Following the talks, there will be an audience Q&A with our expert panel.
9:00pm
Event concludes.
£50 per person
Free entry is available for carers accompanying the person they care for, and ID will be required.
Places are limited, so advance booking is recommended.
Hatfield House, Hatfield Park
Guests arriving by car should enter via the private entrance opposite Hatfield Train Station.
Parking will be available along the avenue up to the North Front of the House.
The postcode is AL9 5AE.
Please disregard the brown ‘Visitor Entrance’ signs on this occasion.
