December 7 – Satyr
In Greek mythology, Satyrs are attendants to the god Bacchus, residing in woods and mountains. In the middle ages they are often illustrated as possessing a… Read More »December 7 – Satyr
Rare Book Collection
December 6 – Merfolk
Mermaids and mermen are mythological sea creatures, usually with bodies that are half human and half fish. Often sighted by sailors, the mythology of mermaids… Read More »December 6 – Merfolk
December 5 – The Cyclopes
In Greek mythology the Cyclopes were giant one-eyed creatures. The brothers Brontes (thunder), Steropes (lightning) and Arges (thunderbolt) in Hesiod’s Theogony provide Zeus with the… Read More »December 5 – The Cyclopes
December 4 – The Hydra
The serpentine water monster from Greek and Roman mythology, the Hydra, has a dog-like body and multiple heads – ranging from seven to nine –… Read More »December 4 – The Hydra
December 3 – Sea Monsters
Unable to pick just one of the fantastic beasts shown in this woodcut illustration, we decided to share them all! This chart of sea serpents… Read More »December 3 – Sea Monsters
‘Alhallow Evin’ in Scotland
The appearance of carved pumpkins (or turnips in Scotland), spooky decorations and plentiful sweet treats marks the arrival of Halloween. In the Christian calendar, Halloween,… Read More »‘Alhallow Evin’ in Scotland
Mackintosh and Glengarry – a Highland provenance adventure
Cataloguing is a relatively straightforward task- a book is examined, described, and any provenance is indicated and traced where possible. Usually, there are two trains… Read More »Mackintosh and Glengarry – a Highland provenance adventure
Special Collections Show and Tell; Scottish Crime Writing Visit
Recently, The Library’s Special Collections Division hosted a crime-themed Show and Tell for visitors attending The Smithsonian at St Andrews course Scottish Crime Writing: from… Read More »Special Collections Show and Tell; Scottish Crime Writing Visit
Print History Conference Enlightened by Rare Book Exhibition
This year’s annual Universal Short Title Catalogue (USTC) conference brought scholars from all over the world to St Andrews. Over the course of the June… Read More »Print History Conference Enlightened by Rare Book Exhibition
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
Lighting the Past Reflections- Part II
Kieran Cressy, October 2014-June 2017, reminisces about his time on Lighting the Past. I joined the Lighting the Past team on October 12th 2014 as… Read More »Lighting the Past Reflections- Part II
Lighting the Past Reflections – Part I
The Lighting the Past (LtP) project has come to an end, and last time we wowed you with stats about the project. This time we… Read More »Lighting the Past Reflections – Part I