Taking place on Friday 25th September 2026 within the Jacobean setting of Hatfield House, the exclusive one-evening event will bring together a distinguished panel of experts. They will examine the history of collecting and consider a timeless question: why do we collect at all?

At the centre of the evening will be one of Hatfield House's most remarkable treasures: the Hatfield Park Rock Crystal, displayed in the Long Gallery - a collection crafted from finely carved raw crystal and inlaid with gold, rubies, and pearls.

The Hatfield Park Lecture Series expert panel will include:
● Dr Timothy Schroder, one of Britain's leading historians and lecturers on silver, goldsmiths' work, and the culture of display.
● Dr Susan Bracken, FSA, a distinguished scholar of seventeenth-century collecting.
● Tom White, a psychology PhD researcher at the University of Warwick, whose research considers the psychological forces behind collecting behaviour.

From status and scholarship to curiosity and personal fascination, the panel will explore the motivations that have shaped collections throughout the centuries.

The evening will begin at 5:45pm with an exclusive Champagne reception in the magnificent Long Gallery, where guests will have the opportunity to admire the Rock Crystal before the lecture. The lecture will begin at 6:30pm in the Marble Hall, followed by a live audience Q&A with the opportunity to ask questions of the panel. Guests can view the Rock Crystal again after the lecture, before the event concludes at 9:00pm.

Tickets for The Art of Collecting are £50 per person. Limited tickets are available, and advance booking is recommended to secure a place.