The BSHS Exhibiting Excellence Prize, was established in 2012 and recognises excellence in public exhibitions that address topics in the history of science, history of technology or history of medicine. There are two categories, one for large exhibitions and one for small exhibitions.
We are delighted to announce the winners of the BSHS exhibiting Excellence Prize 2022!
You can learn more about the prize and previous winners here.
We had some really exciting exhibitions submitted this year, once again from local, national and international museums. It was great to see the work going on to bring current scholarship in history of science, medicine and technology to the forefront of public-facing content; which really reflects the BSHS’s mission to share the role of STM in the development of our society.
The winning exhibitions stood out in bringing current scholarship to publics in an engaging way. We are especially excited to see so many submissions that promote accessible engagement too – and hope this trend continues in future years.
Large Exhibitions Category Prize
Jodrell Bank has been awarded the Large Exhibition category prize for their exhibition First Light. BSHS judges praised bringing in existing projects that provide accessible science communication such as working with the Tactile Universe; its structure of short ‘chapters’ that give publics a way in to different dimensions; and the integration of architecture and science infrastructure into the exhibition.
We are truly honoured to be awarded this prize. We aspired to create an exhibition that is both beautiful and true to the history and heritage of Jodrell Bank, and this award is testament to the huge amount work that was involved. It’s a privilege to be able to tell the stories of science and the way that it has shaped the world in which we live.
Small Exhibitions Category Prize
The Whipple Museum of the History of Science has been awarded the Small Exhibition category prize for their exhibition Craftswomen. The BSHS judges were particularly impressed by the way the exhibition knitted HSTM scholarship into the content of the exhibition; foregrounding the stories of women instrument makers through objects and interpretation.
It is a huge honour to receive the BSHS Exhibiting Excellence Prize. The Whipple Museum has always aimed to make scholarly research accessible to a broad public audience, and it’s fantastic to receive this recognition from our peers. We thank our colleagues in the Museum, our numerous collaborators, and most of all the scholars whose work made our recovery of hidden labour possible—especially Gloria Clifton, Jane Desborough and Alison Morrison-Low.