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Pure Poison

, –
  • Free
  • Session
  • Relaxed
  • Limited audio description
A photograph of a Visitor Experience facilitator giving a tour in the Reading Room.
Visitor Experience Reading Room tour, Photo: Eszter Bonyi. Source: Wellcome Collection. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

What you’ll do

Join Sarah and Grace from the Visitor Experience and Engagement team for a display inspired by the use of poisons in medicine, culture and fashion.  

You’re invited to explore the world of poisons through printed reproductions of images from our collection, alongside evocative fragrances. Together we will consider how poisons have been used to intoxicate, seduce, harm and heal.

From the folklore surrounding the mandrake to hexensalbe, the aromatic ointment alleged to enable witches to fly, we will explore examples of poisons from the natural and supernatural worlds.

Staff will be on hand to answer questions. A printed booklet will also be available if you'd prefer to explore independently.

If you need a break from the event space, you can use our chill out room. This room has low lighting, comfortable seating, cushions, mats and space to move around and be yourself.

Dates

, –
Just turn up

Need to know

Location

We’ll be in the Forum. To get there, take the lift or stairs up to level 1 and then follow the signs through the ‘Being Human’ gallery.

Drop in

Just turn up to this event. It's likely to have room for everyone.

Relaxed

This is a relaxed event. You are welcome to move freely around the space. You can leave and re-enter whenever you wish, and you can make noise at any time.

Limited audio description

The host and speakers will describe themselves and key visual elements they refer to. There will not be a separate audio description track.

For more information, please visit our Accessibility page. If you have any queries about accessibility, please email us at access@wellcomecollection.org or call 0 2 0. 7 6 1 1. 2 2 2 2

Our event terms and conditions

About your facilitators

A headshot of Grace Higgins Brown smiling into the camera

Grace Higgins-Brown

(she/her)

Grace is a facilitator at Wellcome Collection as well as an artist and writer. She is interested in using sensory-led approaches, in particular scent-based work, to explore and engage with artworks, histories and memories.

Sarah Dabbs

Sarah Dabbs

(she/her)

Sarah is a Visitor Experience and Engagement Facilitator at Wellcome Collection, a medical doctor and a writer. She loves all things medical history, especially around medieval concepts of medicine, Georgian and Dickensian London, and maritime folklore.