Working with the Feminist Publications Collection

This is a guest post by Amelia Andrews, a University of Nottingham student, who recently completed a Summer Research Placement at Manuscripts and Special Collections Hundreds of magazines, newspapers and newsletters from the late 20th century Women’s Liberation Movement have been donated to University of Nottingham Manuscripts and Special Collections department. Ahead of the upcoming …

History of Hallward Library Part 3: Building the Library

2023 marks fifty years since the opening of Hallward Library at the University of Nottingham.  In this third of four blog posts we delve through the University archives and contemporary publications kept at Manuscripts and Special Collections to explore the history of this unique building. With the design of the new University of Nottingham library …

History of Hallward Library Part 2: Designing the Library

2023 marks fifty years since the opening of Hallward Library at the University of Nottingham.  In this second of four blog posts we delve through the University archives and contemporary publications kept at Manuscripts and Special Collections to explore the history of this unique building. In early 1969 the University Grants Council agreed to fund …

On the Road with Prince Leopold

With summer comes visions of blue skies, warm weather and unknown vistas – but sadly, so often these things remain simply dreams. It might provide some small consolation to our readers to learn that the people of the past were no more immune to wanderlust than ourselves: this was certainly true of Prince Leopold, the …

History of Hallward Library Part 1: Need for the Library

2023 marks fifty years since the opening of Hallward Library at the University of Nottingham.  In this first of four blog posts we delve through the University archives and contemporary publications kept at Manuscripts and Special Collections to explore the history of this unique building. In 1928, when University College Nottingham moved into the newly …

Working with the Coventry Patmore Collection

This is a guest blog by School of English Placement student Louise Roberts, who in 2023 worked on cataloguing additional papers of Coventry Patmore (1823-1896) When learning about Victorian literature, there is no doubt that Coventry Patmore’s poem The Angel of the House will be mentioned as one of the most influential pieces of literature …

Advocates for animal welfare: The Three Rs

Debate has long raged about the use of animals by humans, both as food and for the advancement of science. The National Anti-Vivisection Society was founded back in 1875 and the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection in 1898, by Frances Power Cobbe, campaigner for women’s suffrage and anti-vivisection activist.   The Cruelty to Animals …

A grand day out from Rochdale to Nottingham via Aachen: to Know Power

This is a guest post by Helen Chicot, Reform and Prevention Lead at Rochdale Borough Council It honestly felt like an act of rebellion.  In our little Whatsapp group, we half-joked about what the dress code might be (opting for “radical chic with arty vibes”) and took care to plan the snacks for the journey, …

Reading the correspondence of the Duchess of Portland

This is a guest blog by Arts Faculty Placement student Nabiha Iqbal, who in 2023, worked on cataloguing the papers of Dorothy Bentinck, Duchess of Portland (1750-1794). I was granted the unique opportunity to revisit the lives of the noble men and women of 18th century England through their primary means of communication: letters. Each …

The History of the Historian of Science

This is a guest post by Anna Vogt, History undergraduate. Although I am a history student, I have also always been fascinated with science, especially the ways in which the humanities and STEM subjects intersect. As such, I jumped at the opportunity to undertake a placement with Manuscripts and Special Collections working on the papers …