The Signet Library

Law, history and conservation from the Signet Library in Edinburgh, the home of the Society of Writers to HM Signet for over 200 years.

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

On the desk this afternoon, James Oswald's "Caledonian Pocket Companion" c 1760: provenance of Georgian dilettante collector Joseph Gulston d. 1786, the composer and organist John Stainer d.1901 (with his annotations), and the Scottish composer/collector Alfred Moffat d. 1950.

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

The flag at the Signet Library flies at half-mast to honour our former Keeper of the Signet.

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

Everyone at the WS Society mourns the passing of James Mackay, Lord Mackay of Clashfern KT, aged 99, whose death was announced yesterday. Truly a titan of the law and a wonderful man. We send our sincere condolences to Lady Mackay and all her family.

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

Pages and a cutting from the Signet Library copy of the Ashendene Press's 1935 farewell bibliography.

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

Annotations by the great eighteenth century antiquarian Richard Gough in a sammelband of numismatics now at the Signet Library but once part of lot 1104 of his Sotheby Sale of 1810.

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

Four spreads by the limner Robert Burns (1869-1941), the son of the Edinburgh Rock House photographer Archibald Burns, taken from his late-career limited edition masterpiece "Scots Ballads".

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

A genuine rarity of Scottish music on the cataloguing desk this afternoon - the VERY scarce 1725 first edition of William Thomson's "Orpheus Caledonius", complete and undamaged in original binding. Provenance from the great Scottish musical historian Alfred Moffat (1863-1950).

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

We're delighted to announce the completion of the recataloguing of our important collection of ephemera from the press of the great C18 Edinburgh eccentric William Mitchel, "the Tincklarian Doctor". Link to Dr. Kit Baston's article on the project in the reply.

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

Read Dr. Kit Baston's article on the good Doctor and his magnificent pamphleteering career here - https://t.co/A1FgvQsEp7

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

We're delighted to announce the completion of the recataloguing of our important collection of ephemera from the press of the great C18 Edinburgh eccentric William Mitchel, "the Tincklarian Doctor". Link to Dr. Kit Baston's article on the project in the reply.

[THIS IS GLAMOUR @thisisglamour]

@signetlibrary The Country Life shot does the architecture proud — that long exposure pulls every shadow off the staircase. Patrick Adam's painting next to it is doing the colour memory the camera couldn't. Pair makes the room, neither alone.

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

The entrance hall of the Signet Library from a 1925 Country Life photograph newly donated to the Library. The decoration scheme was put in by architect Robert Rowan Anderson in 1908 - in colour in Patrick Adam's 1920 painting on the right - which would endure into the 1960s.

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

A pleasure and privilege to have you all with us.

[RPS Historical Group @RPShistgroup]

Wonderful day out in Edinburgh viewing the amazing photography collection @thesignetlibrary and its spectacular interior.

Followed by a curator-led tour of 'Alfred Buckham: Daredevil Photographer' @scottishnationalportrait ... an excellent exhibition that closes this weekend.

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

Delighted to welcome members of the Royal Photographic Society's Historical Group this morning for an exhibition of the Signet Library's photographic collection.

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

Here is our new blogpost about the exhibition - https://t.co/6qjxrnmN8o

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

An hour away from Jen and Ben's Mixed Doubles Curling Bronze Medal match - we've a new online exhibition on the literature of Scotland's Ain Game - link in first comment

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

@OldEdinClub @leithlinkz Dive in here: https://t.co/ZfeASiSxeR

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

We recently finished the research phase of our @OldEdinClub - funded project about the archives of the WS Society's school for orphans, John Watson's Institution. Research by Dr. Kit Baston and @leithlinkz Link in first reply -

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

For Remembrance Sunday, the WS Society War Memorial of fallen Writers to the Signet and Apprentices. There are two panels of names here: a third would be added after World War II.

[The Signet Library @signetlibrary]

"Who Do You Think You Are" Magazine new November 2025 issue's "Gem from the Archive" features the Signet Library's @OldEdinClub funded project on the records of John Watson's Institution, research undertaken by Dr. Kit Baston and @leithlinkz