Librarians in London: A trip to the Linnean Society

In June, the CLG ventured outside Cambridge to visit the Library and Archives of the Linnean Society of London, housed in the beautiful Burlington House.

The Linnean Society, a renowned biological society founded in 1788, is home to much of the collections of Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), the Swedish naturalist and botanist world famous for his groundbreaking work on taxonomy.

The Linnean society’s founder, Sir James Edwards Smith (1759-1828), purchased the collection from the then deceased Linnaeus’ wife in 1784. According to Librarian Lynda Brooks, who was kind enough to give us a tour, legend tells that the King of Sweden was so outraged that the collection was leaving its native country he ordered a ship after it in an attempt to bring it back.

The collection itself is a rich mix of books (both Linnaeus’ own publications and his personal library), manuscripts, and natural specimens, including insects, butterflies and plants - even dried fish! Giant beetles, colourful butterflies, and delicate flowers are all strikingly well preserved. 

 As well as seeing the Linnean collection, we had the chance to look round the society’s elegant library, home to much old and modern material on natural history and related sciences.

Many of the items in the Linnean collection have been digitised and can be viewed online, via the Linnean Society’s website: http://linnean-online.org/linnaeus.html

-          This blog post was contributed by Emily Downes, former CLG Membership Secretary

Politics and papers: our visit to the Churchill Archives Centre

The most recent Cambridge Library Group event was to the Churchill Archives Centre.  This visit had a greater significance for me, as the general election is not far away.

After refreshments the group were taken to the Centre’s search room and shown by the archivists, samples of the papers and artefacts from the various collections the Centre houses.

The Churchill Archives Centre housed in Churchill College opened in 1973, founded by donations from US citizens and later assistance from the National Lottery.

The Centre holds papers and artefacts relating to over 600 individuals.  Notable collections include:

• Winston and Clementine Churchill

• Ernest Bevin

• Enoch Powell

• Margaret Thatcher

• Neil Kinnock

• Leo Amery

• Enid Russell Smith

• Rosalind Franklin

• Frank Whittle

The ‘average’ collection has 800 pieces of paper per box, with the amount estimated for the Winston Churchill collection being over 1 million pieces.  The Churchill collection is still growing.

In addition to Churchill’s school reports – “… Rebellious character unwilling to conform to school discipline (St. Georges School – Ascot – Berkshire – aged 9 ½), the collection includes his first ever letter to his son Randolph (who was 4 years old at the time).  The letter was written from the Western Front.  There are numerous artefacts – a bronze cast of Churchill’s right hand, cigar cutter and butts, and unusually, a whole cigar from a collector in America.  The story behind this item being that as a young child he took the train from New York to the harbour to see Churchill when he was visiting.  It was raining heavily and he didn’t get to see Churchill.  He tried again the next day but was still unlucky.  A member of Churchill’s staff felt sorry for the boy and gave him a cigar as a memento.

Non Churchill items which made a real impression on me are, photos from Neil Kinnocks pop video “My Guy” with Tracy Ullman (1984).  In an anecdote one of the archivists mentioned that Neil Kinnock had helped her to pack up his memoirs (this probably does not happen very often).

The collection also includes a volume from a German encyclopaedia set kept by Hitler in his bunker in the grounds of the Reich Chancellery Berlin.

Amongst the Thatcher memorabilia is one of the handbags with the contents.  Apparently Mrs T liked Clinique and Estée Lauder makeup.  An early election pamphlet, Stanley, a black toy cat who ‘guarded’ the front door of the No. 10 Downing Street flat throughput the Falklands Campaign (2nd April – 14th June 1982), a black and white photo of Thatcher in trousers and with smiling miners and analysis of polling research on the public image of Thatcher and Kinnock are in the archive.

Letters, memos and press cutting from and relating to Enid Russell Smith (civil servant – who participated in the formation of the NHS) form part of the collection.

Apparently Enoch Powell’s archives were covered in sawdust when they arrived as he was having his roof repaired.

Obviously some of the collections are bound by the “20 year rule”.  Presumably the future collection will also include digital memorabilia – emails etc.

The group were also allowed into one of the strong rooms – which has a constant temperature of 170  C.  A new wing was opened in 2002 by Margaret Thatcher.

The knowledge, anecdotes and thoughtful presentation by the archivists made this a really interesting, informative and unusual visit.  I am sure members of the group all had a favourite item.  I know I did!  When I asked the archivists, one replied that it changed weekly!

The Churchill Archives Centre is open to all.  However please contact the team in advance to make an appointment.  Contact details:

Churchill Archives Centre

Telephone: (01223) 336087 / Email: archives@chu.cam.ac.uk

I would recommend a visit to this fascinating collection to anyone, whatever your political views and thoughts on some of the people whose collections have been preserved for us all.

- This post was contributed by our chair, Jo Milton. Read more on Jo's blog: www.librarianbetweenthelines.wordpress.com

Forthcoming visit to Churchill Archives Centre - 4th May

Join us on Thursday 4th May for an exclusive visit to the Churchill Archive Centre!

Photo courtesy of Churchill Archives Centre

Located in Churchill College, this purpose built centre houses Sir Winston Churchill's papers—some 3000 boxes of letters and documents ranging from his childhood letters, great war-time speeches, to the writings which earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature.

In addition the Centre holds the papers of almost 600 important figures and the number is still growing. Contemporaries of Winston Churchill, including friends and family, sit alongside major political, military and scientific figures like Margaret Thatcher, Ernest Bevin, John Major, Neil Kinnock, Admiral Ramsay, Field Marshal Slim, Frank Whittle and Rosalind Franklin.   As well as papers the collections includes artefacts such as Lady Thatcher’s handbag and Churchill’s cigars.

Numbers are strictly limited to 20. 

Please contact Jo Milton directly –jm908@medschl.cam.ac.uk  if you are interested in attending.

Arrangements:

Refreshments will be served in the Jock Colville Hall 5:30 – 6:00, followed by a tour at 6pm which should take half an hour.

Directions to Churchill College : - https://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/media/uploads/files/Churchill_Map.pdf

Parking :- The Archives Centre is signposted from the Porter's Lodge. There is a large visitor's car park at the top of Churchill Road, but you can also park in any of the spaces along the right-hand side of the road (if you can get one of these it's a lot less walking!)

Christmas with the CLG

Join us to celebrate a fantastic year of library love!

We're hosting a Christmas meal at the Old Bicycle Shop on 7th December at 7pm.

Sign up here: http://tinyurl.com/zaqzg3x

Deadline: 1st November 2016

Plenty of wine, lovely food and lovely Librarians!

CLG highlights 2016: talks

This CLG year has boasted a bumper crop of exciting talks in a variety of lovely Cambridge locations.

For our AGM this year we ventured to Addenbrooke's for a fascinating talk by Anna Martin (@AnnaLMartin) about the process of publishing her book on the trail-blazing 19th-century science writer Dionysius Lardner. A fascinating tour of the Cambridge Medical Library followed, with the lovely Librarian Jo Milton filling us in on the dynamic service provided for both medical students and NHS staff.

We were lucky enough to spend an evening in the magical setting of the Heffer's Children's bookshop in the equally magical company of children's writer Helen Moss in February.  Helen gave a wonderful insight into the spirit of adventure that defines her popular Adventure Island and Secrets of the Tombs series and how her passion for travel, mystery, science (and seacumbers...) informs her work. All this whilst sipping complimentary wine and nibbles - perfect!

We ventured to the University Library in April and May for further wine and great talks from poet and crime writer Sophie Hannah and Senior Research Scientist at the Hamilton Kerr Institute, Dr Spike Bucklow. Despite her professed fear of university libraries, Sophie delivered a very funny and passionate talk about crime fiction interspersed with some hugely entertaining readings. A real treat for manuscript enthusiasts, Spike Bucklow offered a very exciting preview of a major forthcoming exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum, COLOUR: the Art and Science of Illuminated Manuscripts, focusing on his work on a fourteenth century manuscript featured in the display.

A huge thank you to all our speakers and all those who attended. Rest assured there's plenty more where these came from!