Unearthing the Secrets of Vesuvius
December 17, 2024
It might nearly be Christmas, but today’s blog marks a holiday of a different kind as we continue to follow Dr Edward Wrench on his European tour in 1876. Last time we saw Dr Wrench, he had emerged from the Catacombs of the Capuchins at Rome, and, having satisfied his more superstitious impulses by drinking …
Skeletons and Superstitions
November 29, 2024
I don’t know about you, but the wintry weather has me yearning for warmer climes – and I’m not the only one! Last time we met Dr Edward Wrench in the midst of his European tour in February 1876, he was looking out over the Colosseum, but in today’s instalment he’s heading underground in search of …
Gardens, Graveyards and Gladiators: A Victorian Journey through Italy
July 31, 2024
The sun’s out, school’s out – it’s holiday season once again! This summer, join 19th century tourists from the East Midlands as they travel through Europe and beyond in our series of blogs in the run up to Heritage Open Day, which this year will explore the theme ‘Routes – Networks – Connections’! In this …
Discovering Iceland with the Benedikz Collection
April 9, 2024
The University of Nottingham may seem like an unlikely home for a treasure trove of Icelandic literature, but, nonetheless, in 1998 we welcomed the Benedikz collection: an assemblage of Old Icelandic sagas, poetry and travel books which greatly enhanced our pre-existing holdings of Norse, Icelandic and Viking literature. So, how did this remarkable acquisition come …
A Peek Behind the Iron Curtain
March 19, 2024
This is a guest post by Samantha Brinded, a volunteer at Manuscripts and Special Collections. Several months ago, upon expressing my interest in volunteering for the archives, I received an email inviting me to contribute to a project involving the School of Geography. The task would involve collating metadata for hundreds of slides, and subsequently …
On the Road with Prince Leopold
August 30, 2023
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 …
Finding leaves in books
February 22, 2022
On this date, a man picked a daffodil whilst on holiday, carefully pressed it, and kept it between the pages of his diary. Being early spring, it was only small and the flower buds were still closed. The stem is a greenish-brown. The petals are yellow. The flower is 146 years old. People kept pressed …
Cataloguing Connie part 3: the Finale
October 18, 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 of …
‘Wish You Were Here!’ Picture Postcards: The Wrench Series
July 25, 2018
Guest post by Abigail Cobley, Document Production Assistant at Manuscripts & Special Collections. Picture postcards offer a unique and fascinating insight into social history. Much can be gained about life in the past from studying postcards showing street scenes, holiday destinations, military events, and artistic watercolour prints (to name but a few). In the 21st …
Mum’s gone to Iceland
June 17, 2018
Famous for its harsh landscapes and heroic sagas, Iceland was a source of endless fascination for 19th century travellers. Many were sent on geological, botanical or other scientific expeditions. Ida Pfeiffer was different. Born in Vienna in 1797, she was bitten by the travel bug aged 5 when she accompanied her parents to Palestine and Egypt. Her father …
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