James Nasmyth’s “Moon” images, 1874
Tomorrow (20 July) marks the 50th anniversary of the first humans landing on the Moon in 1969 as part of NASA’s Apollo 11 lunar mission.… Read More »James Nasmyth’s “Moon” images, 1874
illustrations
Reading the Collections, Week 1: J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan and Wendy (London, 1940)
My first encounter with J M Barrie’s Peter Pan, ‘the boy who couldn’t grow up’ was through the Disney film, which chronicles the adventures of… Read More »Reading the Collections, Week 1: J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan and Wendy (London, 1940)
Special Collections Visiting Scholars – Lang and the Works of Tolkien
Sharin Schroeder spent two weeks in our reading room in July as part of the 2014 Visiting Scholarship Programme. In this fascinating blog post, she explains how… Read More »Special Collections Visiting Scholars – Lang and the Works of Tolkien
52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations: Reflections and Visual Index
This year’s “52 Weeks of …” thread has now come to a close and it is time, once again, to finish the series with our… Read More »52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations: Reflections and Visual Index
52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 52: the St Andrews Psalter
For the final inspiring illustration of this 52-week series, it could be argued that we have saved the best for the last. This is a… Read More »52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 52: the St Andrews Psalter
52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 51: the plates of Diderot & d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie (1751-1772)
This final rare book entry for our Inspiring Illustrations thread has inspired generations of artists, merchants, craftsmen and businessmen. We have chosen the 11 volumes… Read More »52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 51: the plates of Diderot & d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie (1751-1772)
52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 50: the Book of Wonders
We have always referred to this manuscript (St Andrews ms32(o)) as the ‘book of wonders’ and indeed wondered what it was all about as it is… Read More »52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 50: the Book of Wonders
52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 49: Estienne’s Anatomy (1546)
Charles Estienne’s De dissectione partium corporis humani libri tres (1545) was the third fully illustrated anatomical work ever to be published. Estienne came from a… Read More »52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 49: Estienne’s Anatomy (1546)
52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 48: the Trajectory of the Photographic Medium
Over the past year staff from the Special Collections Division have been putting together posts highlighting ‘Inspiring Illustrations’ of material in our collections. Representing the… Read More »52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 48: the Trajectory of the Photographic Medium
52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 47: the Gillespie and Scott architectural archive
Amongst our holdings is the extensive archive of Gillespie and Scott, a firm of local architects active in St Andrews since 1876. The founding partner,… Read More »52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 47: the Gillespie and Scott architectural archive
52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 46: A Marriage of Convenience — The Half-Tone Relief Process
At its core the reproduction of the printed word is usually a process which is based on relief printing. Historically (as things are now different),… Read More »52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 46: A Marriage of Convenience — The Half-Tone Relief Process
52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 45: Campi Phlegraei (1776-1779)—Hamilton’s “Fields of Flame”
Since my return to this country, in January 1773, I have continued with aſſiduity my obſervations upon Mount Veſuvius, and the many ancient Volcanick productions… Read More »52 Weeks of Inspiring Illustrations, Week 45: Campi Phlegraei (1776-1779)—Hamilton’s “Fields of Flame”