University of Reading Special Collections

Sharing treasures and updates from @UniofReading Special Collections. Rare books, manuscripts, archives and more.
Enquiries: [email protected]

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

We're thrilled to announce we (and our colleagues @TheMERL) have been awarded just over £3.3m over the next 5 years by @ResEngland as part of its higher education museums and galleries (HEMG) fund.
Learn more: https://t.co/uYEA1wq065
@UniofReading  @UKRI_News

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

We hold thousands of children’s books in our collection, including this edition of ‘Fighting the flames’ by R.M. Ballantyne. This copy was printed at the start of the 20th century, and has detailed illustrations.
[CC 823.8 BAL]
#childrensbookweek #childrensbooks #illustration

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

When ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ by L. Frank Baum was first published, it had spelling mistakes that were quickly amended in a new printing. This is one of our first editions, printed in 1900, with the mistakes corrected.
[WoOz 001]
#childrensbookweek #childrensbook #wizardofoz

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

As well as the Boy’s and Girl’s Own Annuals, we have books like ‘The boy’s own book of natural history’ by J.G. Wood. This 1870’s children’s book is bound in bright green cloth, and full of detailed illustrations.
[CC 590 WOO]
#childrensbookweek #childrensbook #naturalhistory

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

What did a school book look like in 1782? This miniature book ‘The London vocabulary’ by James Greenwood has tiny illustrations of animals and their English/Latin names. This edition has also been doodled in!
[CC 473 GRE]
#childrensbookweek #childrensbooks #rarebooks #miniature

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

It’s children’s book week! We’re kicking it off with one of the brightest items in our collection, this red and gold edition of ‘Two thousand years ago’ by A.J. Church.
[CC 823.8 CHU]
#childrensbookweek #rarebooks #childrensbooks #ancientrome

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

On this day in 1939, ‘Finnegans Wake’ by James Joyce was published! This first edition is part of our Joyce collection, and is signed.
[JOYCE RF 30 FIN]

#onthisday #jamesjoyce #finneganswake #specialcollections

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

Take a peek at a miniature Great Exhibition, first open today in 1851! This diorama, ‘Lane’s telescopic view…’ was published the same year, and folds out accordion style so we can look through the mini window.
[Great Exhibition 07/13]
#onthisday #greatexhibition #miniature

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

Need some handwriting inspo? This Elizabethan poem is dated between 1558 and 1603, and has an accompanying transcript by Dr. Claire Cross.
[MS 233/2]

#manuscript #elizabethan #handwriting #archives

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

Only 25 copies were made of this vellum bound edition of ‘Fringilla: some tales in verse’ by R.D. Blackmore. Published in 1895, this volume is full of detailed illustrations.
[Elkin Mathews Coll. BLA]

#illustrations #rarebooks #vellum

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

There’s only a small piece of text on each page of this book, just enough to fill the space left by its intricate borders. ‘The Prism of Imagination’ was written by the Baroness de Calabrella and published in 1844.
[PC 823.89 CAL]
#illustration #rarebooks #chromolithograph

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

Samuel Beckett was born today in 1906! We hold the Beckett collection, including manuscripts, correspondence and stage files. This book is a signed 1972 edition of Beckett’s ‘More pricks than kicks’, printed in Swedish.
[BR 30 MOR/SWE]
#samuelbeckett #beckett #specialcollections

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

What did the world look like circa 1700? Frederik de Wit’s Atlas is full of hand-coloured illustrations and shows us places we recognise today that literally, weren’t on the map.

[Reserve LF 131]
#EYAEarth #worldatlas #rarebooks #specialcollections

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

Today is World Poetry Day! This beautiful green and gold edition of ‘The Tower’ by W.B. Yeats was published in 1928, and is part of our Printing Collection.
[PC 821.912]

#worldpoetryday #wbyeats #yeats

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

This is not a book, it’s a wooden ‘calculator’!
‘Napier’s bones’ was invented by John Napier in 1617 and originally made of bone (hence the name). Our set is made of wood instead and each rod is less than 7cm tall!
[RES 511.078 NAP]

#britishscienceweek #inventions #miniature

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

Written by Thomas Moore, this volume was printed by Henry Bradbury, where the leaves of the plants were pressed into lead plate to leave a detailed impression.

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

This 1857 book of ferns has been nature-printed, where the illustrations are 3D, and you can feel the veins of the leaves!
[RES LF 035]
#natureprint #rarebooks #botany #britishscienceweek

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

When Robert Hooke’s 1665 ‘Micrographia’ was published, he popularised the science of seeing tiny things. This edition is responsible for terms like ‘plant cell’, which Hooke compared to pores or honeycomb!
[Cole 249Q]
#micrographia #britishscienceweek #microscope

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

How would you draw an animal you had never seen before? Edward Topsell’s 1658 ‘History of four-footed beasts…’ has illustrated animals we recognise, as well as monsters. He describes manticores, sea-serpents, and even unicorns!
[Cole 004Q]
#britishscienceweek #bestiary #monsters

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

Eales was a Senior Lecturer in Zoology at the University, kept the department running during WW1, and was one of the first women to study for a Ph.D at University College, Reading. Thanks to her we have access to zoologist Francis Cole’s vast library.

[University of Reading Special Collections @UniRdg_SpecColl]

On International Women’s day, we’re celebrating Dr Nellie Eales. Thanks to her, we have treasures like this 1420’s ‘Book of Hours’, and our Cole collection.

[MS 2087]

#internationalwomensday #universityofreading
#bookofhours #manuscript #illumination