Museum blog

One of the many treasures to be found in the collections of the Caird Library is John Pine's The tapestry hangings of the House of Lords: representing the several engagements between the English and Spanish fleets in the ever memorable year 1588 (RMG ID: PBE3597)

I recently catalogued a small collection of papers relating to Rear-Admiral James Francis Ballard Wainwright (1820-1872), in the Caird Library Archive Catalogue. Some of the items shed light on a notable event at Bermuda 150 years ago.

The year 2019 marked the 150th anniversary of the opening in 1869 of the East London railway line, completed in 1843 with the help of pioneering technology invented by Marc Isambard Brunel

BGY/E/3 is a file containing small collections relating to two members of the same family. It's been difficult to determine exactly how James and Edward Everard are related, however. We know that Edward Everard (1739-1819) had six children, and that his youngest, Rebecca, married Henry Prescott Blencowe, whose daughter Elizabeth was James Everards mother. They are likely to be cousins of some kind as well.

My dad is a diehard Union man and in his working life, was heavily involved in negotiations for better contracts for civic employees. Our family heard a lot about the discussions and the delicate balance of arguing for fair recompense and the importance of the union for the working man. In the case of the Mercantile Marine, the journal collection at the National Maritime Museum holds numerous copies of 'The Seaman' although the early copies have distinct titles. This publication records the activities and decisions surrounding the Merchant Navy and its workforce.

John Dee (1527-1609) was a philosopher and scholar whose work during the Tudor period has been overshadowed by his alleged sorcerous and occultist activities. He is best known for having conversations with angels through his scryer Edward Kelley's interests in astrology, alchemy, calendar reform and suggesting the date for Queen Elizabeth's coronation. What John Dee may not be as well known for is his influence on English navigation and being the first person to coin the term 'British Empire'.

Find out more about one of the most detailed maps of the Moon ever created.