The Beginnings of University Park
May 22, 2025
Did you know that University Park was originally intended to be a ‘model village’ rather than a university? Prominent industrialist Sir Jesse Boot purchased the Highfields estate in 1919, with the initial idea of transforming it into an attractive self-contained suburb to house Boots employees. However, around the same time, he had been engaging in …
The University of Nottingham Chapel
May 20, 2025
If you mooch around in the depths of the Portland Building you may stumble across Oasis, the Chaplaincy and Faith Support services at the University of Nottingham. There you will find – alongside a multi-faith room, Muslim prayer rooms, and cosy common room – the University’s chapel. Beautifully decorated with elaborate wooden trim, panelled doors, …
The British Cotton Growing Association
May 13, 2025
This is a guest blog by Alejandra Ponce Martorell, an undergraduate student who completed a Conservation placement with Manuscripts and Special Collections in 2025 working on the records of the Cotton Research Corporation. The cotton collection contains the papers and library of printed material of the British/Empire Cotton Growing Corporation. Founded in 1902, the corporation …
On the Land
April 24, 2025
In celebration of our new exhibition, ‘Country Lives: Exploring the English countryside from 1800’, today we’re sharing a selection of items from our collections which can give us insight into how the countryside has been used and depicted in the past… Many documents recording property holding and the changing use of land over the centuries …
Life in 19th century Ethiopia
April 2, 2025
One of the most famous 19th-century travellers who makes an appearance in our collection is Mansfield Parkyns (1823-1894). Parkyns, a younger son of Sir Thomas Parkyns of Bunny Hall, Nottinghamshire, decided to leave England abruptly aged 19 in 1842 without making his family aware of his plans, or keeping them updated regarding his whereabouts… His …
Manuscripts and Special… Experiences!
March 25, 2025
This is a guest post by Hannah Gregg, second year Classics and Archaeology student at the University of Nottingham, who recently completed a placement at Manuscripts and Special Collections. My expectations… Like going into any new environment, I was extremely apprehensive before starting, especially as I’d never had experience in the archives before. Moreover, my …
Through the Lens: A Victorian Travel Album
March 19, 2025
Following on from our previous blog, which unravelled the mystery surrounding a collection of 19th century slides depicting buildings and landscapes in India, this week we’re exploring another collection of Victorian photographs, following in the footsteps of Carrie S. North as she travels around France, Monaco, Algeria and Italy in 1891… Unfortunately, very little is …
Stunning slides saved from skip
March 13, 2025
Here at Manuscripts and Special Collections, we hold many visually striking items, but an intriguing set of over 300 glass slides showing views of India – which depict monuments, landscapes and people – stand out even against this tough competition. The photographs date to approximately the 1860s and 1870s, but unfortunately, we can’t be certain …
Nottingham old and new
February 21, 2025
Charles Deering’s ‘Nottinghamia vetus et nova’, which translates from the Latin to ‘Nottingham old and new’, is widely considered to be one of the earliest histories of the town. First published in 1751, the book is a key source for the early study of Nottingham’s caves. Deering was born in Germany and spent his adult …
New book shines light on seventeenth-century collections
February 20, 2025
Manuscripts and Special Collections was excited to host the launch of a new book, ‘Change and Continuity in Seventeenth-century Nottinghamshire’ by Dr Peter Seddon, last week. Attendees had the chance to hear Dr Seddon discuss his work and to purchase a copy, but in a unique twist, they also had the opportunity to view some …
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