Cataloguing Connie: Part 1
June 10, 2021
Connie Ford – veterinarian, poet, supporter of the arts, traveller, political activist, correspondent, sailor – left behind an enormous personal and literary archive. We are pleased to announce the completion of the Connie Ford catalogue which is now open to view on our website. Over the next few months our blogs will highlight specific aspects …
Florence Nightingale Returns
May 14, 2021
It’s been a long time coming, but we’re sure that Florence Nightingale of all people would understand why we had to delay opening the exhibition in her honour due to an outbreak of a deadly disease. ‘Florence Nightingale Comes Home’ was supposed to open last May to coincide with her 200th birthday, part of a …
Birds of America: Flights of Fancy
May 5, 2021
There are only 120 copies of Audubon’s ‘Birds of America’ known to survive, the vast majority in university or other public libraries. Different editions occupy multiple places in top 10 lists of the most expensive books ever sold. The 4th Duke of Portland, whose archive we hold, owned a complete copy of the first edition, …
Forestry and Photography
April 22, 2021
In the 11th century, Sherwood Forest covered 20% to 25% of Nottinghamshire and after the Norman invasion of 1066, was designated a Royal Forest and hunting ground. Charles I (1600-1649) was the last monarch to hunt there, and by the 18th century, large swathes had been gifted or sold to aristocratic families. Amongst those noblemen …
Welcome Back Part 2: The Re-Re-Opening
March 29, 2021
For the last few months, only University of Nottingham staff/students have been able to visit the Reading Room, but as of the 13th April, we plan to reopen to the public, in line with Government advice. If you haven’t visited before or it’s been a while, here’s what to expect: Booking a Sit-and-Study space in …
Highlighting the History of Sutton Bonington
March 22, 2021
Originally, Sutton and Bonington were two settlements, probably originating in Anglo-Saxon times. The two villages gradually grew together and by 1340 had become “Sutton Bonynton”. Today, the villages host to the University of Nottingham’s rural campus. An insight into 17th century Sutton Bonington is provided by a presentment bill dating from 1632, which forms part …
Lenton Priory
March 9, 2021
Did you watch The Great British Dig last week? Fronted by Hugh Dennis, a team of archaeologists excavated the gardens of homes built on the site of the long-gone Priory of Lenton, situated between the University Park and King’s Meadow Campuses. Lenton Priory itself is not exactly a mystery: this map clearly shows the site and there have been several …
World Book Day 2021
March 4, 2021
Happy World Book Day! None of the staff here fancied dressing up (we can’t all wear a dressing gown and pretend to be Arthur Dent) so instead we’ve picked out a few of our favourite books from our collections. Abigail (Document Production Assistant) chose what we refer to as the Poisons Scrapbooks: a set of …
Unlocking the DH Lawrence Collection
February 23, 2021
This is a post by Amy, D H Lawrence Project cataloguer. After a delayed start due to Covid, work is currently underway on a two-year project aimed at making our D H Lawrence collections accessible to a wider audience. The project will incorporate a number of different elements, including the digitisation of Lawrence’s correspondence and …
Simple Medicine
February 9, 2021
Post by Library Assistant Safiya Williams. There is a great pleasure, and sometimes amusement, in reading through old texts that cover topics of the human body and cures for its many ailments. Books on herbalism and herbal remedies give us an idea of those who came before us – without the support of modern medicine, …
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