Portrait of EH-A by Kay Vaughan
Portrait of EH-A by Kay Vaughan

News and Events 2008


March

The Annual Heron-Allen lecture was held on Friday March 10th at Talbot Hall, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. Dr Neil M Ferguson OBE, Professor of Mathematical Biology at Imperial College, London spoke on "Planning for the unpredictable: how modelling can aid preparations for the next flu pandemic".

A Catalogue of the Treasures of Marie Anna Heron-Allen, dated January 1902, was offered for sale as Lot 125 at Henry Adams sale at Chichester on 20 March 2008. The list of jewellery, silver etc of Heron-Allen's first wife, was signed by Edward Heron-Allen. The catalogue was beautifully bound in blue morocco, with silver roses to the front and back. The catalogue was illustrated in Henry Adams, General Antiques and Furniture Sale, including the Holleyman Collection of Books and Effects, Thursday 20th March 2008.

On the 28th of March at Indiana State University, Joan Navarre delivered the keynote lecture at an Oscar Wilde Symposium, on 'Edward Heron-Allen and Oscar Wilde's "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime": A Study of Influence'.

April

The Society's Newsletter No.12 was published. The Newsletter included the following articles: 'Opening the Vault' by Samuel J.F. Jones; 'Constance Mary Foy and Edward Heron-Allen: A Cheiromantic Friendship' by Timothy J.McCann; 'Edward Heron-Allen in America: A rare Photograph by Napoleon Sarony' by Joan Navarre; 'A Photograph of Edward Heron-Allen at the Royal Society' by Timothy J. McCann and 'Remembering Edward Morton Barford, Godchild of Edward Heron-Allen' by Joan Navarre. The Newsletter also included a notice of the annual Heron-Allen Lecture at Lady Margaret Hall, the programme for the Society's eighth annual symposium at the Natural History Museum on Saturday 5 July 2008, a note on the Heron-Allen family graves at Church Norton, Selsey and reports on some new books.

May

Gyles Brandreth's novel, Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death, in which Edward Heron-Allen plays a significant part, was published by John Murray.

July

The Society's eighth annual symposium will be held at the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, on 5 July 2008. Papers will include 'Heron-Allen's Westminster Fire Office Chairs' by Lucy Wood; 'A Cornucopia of Treasures and Trivia: Heron-Allen's Miscellanea in the Royal College of Music Collection' by Pam Thompson; 'The Heron-Allen Collection of Egyptian Scarabs' by Joann Fletcher, and 'Tea at the De Keyser Hotel - Edward Heron-Allen's Colleagues at M.I.7(b)' by Peter Scott. During the symposium the Heron-Allen Library door will be officially opened and there will be an opportunity for attendees to visit Heron-Allen's room at the Museum (The Gavin de Beer Room) and 'The Purple Sapphire' in the exhibition in the Vault.

September

The July-September issue of Fontes Artis Musicae (The Journal of the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (IAML)), vol. 55, no.3, included an article by Pamela Thompson, 'The Edward Heron-Allen Collection in the Royal College of Music Library' on pp.474-83.

November

The Society's Newsletter No.13 was published. The Newsletter included the following articles: 'The Eighth Annual Symposium' by Nichola Court; 'A Fatal Kiss of the Princess: Who did Marmaduke Scott marry?', by John and Barbara Mahoney; 'Edward Heron-Allen in the Spotlight', by Joan Navarre; 'Edward Heron-Allen in the Sale Rooms' by the Editor; and 'Edward Heron-Allen and Edward Fitzgerald' by Garry Garrard. The Newsletter also included 'Dates for your Diaries' and a list of recent publications.

On 21 November the Chairman delivered a lecture entitled 'The Singular Life of Edward Heron-Allen' at the Royal Society, as part of the History of Science events celebrating 350 years of the Royal Society.