‘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 Revolutions
-
The Longest Alliance: England and Por...
On 16th June 1373, England’s King Edward III signed a treaty of alliance with Portugal’s King Ferdinand. It still stands, making it the longest continuing alliance in history. This year, in June 2023, it celebrates its 650th anniversary. In this film, Mike Loades, a Brit living in Portugal, trave...
-
Lucy Worsley on The Death of Jane Austen
Famous the world over for her wit, social observation and insight into the lives of early 19th century women, Jane Austen remains one of the Britain’s most respected and beloved novelists. She famously lived a ‘life without incident’, but in fact new research reveals a passionate woman who fought...
-
Inside Windsor Castle: The State Rooms
Windsor Castle has a legendary connection to the British monarchy: the longest-serving royal palace in the whole of Europe. Ever since the days of William the Conqueror, the Castle has dominated this strategic point on the banks of the Thames, overlooking west London. Over the next 1,000 years ki...
11 Comments