April 24 | 6:30pm | 213 Water Street | Free
Join the Seaport Museum for a captivating evening with historian Jerry Brotton, author of Four Points of the Compass: The Unexpected History of Direction. In the first-floor gallery of the Museum’s new exhibition Maritime City, Brotton will chart a course to share the fascinating story of the compass and the very concept of direction itself.
Together we will explore how societies across time and place have used the four cardinal directions—North, South, East, and West—not just to navigate, but to understand who they are by projecting where they are. Throughout his presentation, Brotton will share how, for millennia, these four directions have been foundational to our travel, navigation, and exploration, and are central to the imaginative, moral, and political geography of virtually every culture in the world. Yet they are far more subjective—and sometimes contradictory—than we might realize.
In addition to sharing intriguing insights from his book, Brotton will showcase artifacts from the Museum’s collection and archives, including some of the objects on display in the Maritime City exhibition. Don’t miss this thought-provoking journey through the history of how we find our way.
Advanced registration is encouraged, and walk-ups will be accommodated as space allows.
About the Speaker
Jerry Brotton is a professor of English and History at the University of London. A renowned broadcaster, curator, and critic, he is the author of the New York Times bestselling, award-winning A History of the World in 12 Maps, which has been translated into nineteen languages, The Sultan and the Queen, a Financial Times and Waterstones Book of the Year and winner of the Historical Writer’s Association Prize, The Renaissance Bazaar, and The Sale of the Late King’s Goods, a finalist for the Samuel Johnson Prize.
Enjoy More That the Museum Offers
Access to the historic ships and exhibition galleries at the Seaport Museum is not included with this event. If you would like to explore more that the Museum has to offer, book in advance or ask Museum staff about admission tickets, available Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm when you check in.
Museum admission tickets grant access to the 1885 tall ship Wavertree and 1908 lightship Ambrose at Pier 16 as well as all current exhibitions on view in the introduction galleries inside Schermerhorn Row located at 12 Fulton Street.
Admission tickets also include entry to the new Maritime City exhibition in A.A. Thomson & Co. located at 213 Water Street.
Ready for more?
Head over to our Programs and Events page to see what else is happening at the Museum. Sign up for an upcoming talk, learn more about visiting Wavertree, or explore our virtual offerings.