On the evening of Monday 1 September 2025, join Professor Peter Oakley at Goldsmiths’ Hall for a session that explores the relationship between alchemy and assaying and what they reveal about science and magic in the time of the Tudors.
Peter’s talk will further explore the themes he presents in his article “The Magician, the Alchemist and the Assayer: Characters on Stage and at Court in Early Modern Europe”, published in this year’s Goldsmith’s Review. These include introducing the real-life individuals that inspired Shakespear’s Prospero and Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, why Elizabeth I retained a “Queen’s Conjuror”, and how assaying and alchemy collided at the Court of Rudoph II, the Holy Roman Emperor.
Tickets are priced at £15 per person and include light refreshments after the talk.
Members of the Company (Freemen, Liverymen, Members of The Court) should login to the Member’s Portal to book their tickets.
Doors will open at 17:45 for a prompt 18:00 start
About the speaker
Peter Oakley is a Professor of Material Culture and a Co-Lead of the “Material Engagements Research Cluster” in the RCA’s School of Arts and Humanities. He specialises in ethnographic, experiential, and object-based research, focusing on materials and making. His academic expertise covers anthropology, creative practice, science and technology studies, and industrial heritage.
He is currently focusing on two overarching research topics: (1) examining the extraction, refining, and assaying of metals and the social, environmental, and ecological consequences of these activities and their associated technologies in the past and the present, and (2) identifying, developing, supporting, and promoting more sustainable practices across the crafts and applied arts.
Terms & Conditions
Tickets for “History at the Hall: Alchemy, Assaying and Experimentation” are priced at £15 per person and are non-refundable.
Tickets must be booked in the name of the person who is attending - photo ID that matches the name on the booking will be required to gain entry.
Security & bag policy
Goldsmiths’ Hall operates Airport style enhanced security procedures for all public events - these include a bag scanner and a security arch. Suitcases and items larger than a laptop bag are not permitted inside the building. Our cloakroom, situated downstairs, can be used free of charge for coats, bags and umbrellas.
Disabled access to Goldsmiths’ Hall
The main entrance to Goldsmiths’ Hall is on Foster Lane and may not be suitable for visitors who require step-free access. Those who are require level access from street level should ring the bell on Carey Lane, for assistance and access by lift. If you have any concerns or questions about visiting the building, please email us.
The Exhibition Room is on the first floor, and can be accessed by lift from within the ground floor lobby.