Seashells, Spies and the British Empire: The Extraordinary World of Vernon MacAndrew

What begins as the story of a shell collector quickly becomes something far more intriguing…

In this episode, we explore the remarkable life of Vernon MacAndrew, a wealthy naturalist, sailor and photographer whose passion for collecting seashells carried him across the maritime highways of the British Empire.

Following in the footsteps of his famous naturalist grandfather, MacAndrew transported his own yacht to the Red Sea and the Philippines in search of rare specimens. Yet among his photographs are not just shells and beaches, but Arab leaders, camel-mounted fighters, Hashemite flags and senior British officials operating in one of the most strategically sensitive regions of the world. Was he simply pursuing science, or was something more going on?

To find out more Dr Sam Willis spoke with Dartmouth historian Jonathan Turner, who introduces a newly discovered archive of more than 5,000 photographs and reveals how MacAndrew's travels illuminate the connections between maritime exploration, natural history, photography, imperial power and global shipping networks. We also visit Dartmouth Museum to examine some of the spectacular shells MacAndrew collected, objects of extraordinary beauty that open a window onto the cultures, environments and sea routes of the early twentieth century.

From the shores of Aqaba to the reefs of the Philippines, this is a story of curiosity, adventure and empire—showing how something as seemingly modest as a shell collection can reveal an entire maritime world.

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