‘Dictator of British Botany’. ‘Autocrat of the Philosophers’. Sir Joseph Banks has been called many things over the past few centuries. A towering figure in the development of British botany and British natural history during the 18th century, he voyaged across the World with famous navigators such as Captain Cook, visiting far away lands such as Australia and bringing back a plethora of new plant species to Britain.
This, however, was only the beginning of Banks’ extraordinary career. Upon his return to England, he became President of the Royal Society, where his stellar career as a naturalist really began.
In this documentary Jordan Goodman and the Natural History Museum’s Dr Mark Carine tell the story of Joseph Banks and highlight why he has such a dominant legacy in the development of British botany. Produced by Iris Gibson.
Up Next in Season 1
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Redcliffe Caves
Redcliffe Caves are a series of man made tunnels beneath the Redcliffe area of Bristol, England. The Triassic red sandstone was dug into in the Middle ages to provide sand for glass making and pottery production. Further excavation took place from the 17th to early 19th centuries and used for sto...
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St Helena: Atlantic Paradise
Whale sharks, Diana's Peak, the World's oldest terrestrial animal, an island full of adventure. Dan Snow visited the isolated island of St Helena, the secret jewel of the South Atlantic. Safe streets, pure waters, clear skies – St Helena is a slice of heaven on earth.
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Ancient Britain with Ray Mears: Flint...
Britain is an island where history is well and truly part of the landscape and an island where human feet have walked for a million years. We are constantly making groundbreaking archaeological discoveries that are helping us to better understand the way in which our distant ancestors lived.
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