As we look ahead and plan for the new year, we share with you our review of some of the activities of Archives and Special Collections over 2025. #ExploreYourArchive

A year in review – 2025 Welcome to 2026, which we begin with a reflection on the previous twelve months and the activities undertaken by Archives and Special Collections in 2025. Wellington Congress In April we hosted our eighth Wellington Congress which drew speakers from the US, Australia and…

#OnThisDay in 1807 it was cold enough in Southampton to freeze the flooded land behind The Beach, the riverside walk to the Cross House. The impromptu skating rink attracted many local people, including Jane Austen’s brother, Frank.

#OnThisDay in 1812 Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese army commenced the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, surrounding the French-occupied city. The image is a pen and ink sketch map shows the local terrain and along the banks of the River Agueda. #WellingtonWednesday

Image: the “Common Lentil” from John Wilson’s 'Our Farm Crops', vol. 2 As a a low fat source of protein with high levels of fibre, pulses are often a staple of a vegan diet; they also contain important vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium and folate. #Veganuary buff.ly/n5lETqH

Does #TwelfthNight falls on 5th or 6th Jan? This letter from Countess Cowper to her brother Frederick Lamb likely dates from 1824: "I must remain here till after the 6th which is twelfth day when the K intends to have a great cake & juvenile party - he asked me as a favour to stay"

#TwelfthNight, or "Epiphany Eve", is traditionally the last day of Christmas as well as a romantic comedy written by Shakespeare. Childhood photograph of maritime archaeologist Honor Frost ready for her performance buff.ly/Y7Dn48r

As 2026 is National Year of Reading, what better way to celebrate the New Year with a poem written at Broadlands on New Years Day 1815. Happy New year reading!

This "Talented Teezle" is called Holly Chestnut. She is so beautiful we had to photograph her from all angles. And she has a backstory! "Teezles are small furry animals that live in woods and forest all over the world... #MerryChristmas #ArchiveAdventCalendar @arascot.bsky.social

Santa Claus is coming to town.... on a swing?! This little chap comes from our Montse Stanley textile collection buff.ly/ykWoV51 #Santa #ArchiveAdventCalendar @arascot.bsky.social

We are now closed and will be open again to enquiries on Monday 5 January, digital appointments on Friday 9 January and in person appointments from Tuesday 13 January. It may feel Christmassy, but these gorgeous images from 1996 of our Highfield Campus in the snow were actually taken in February!

This is very tenuous, but for #ArchiveCalendar #WinterWonderland, we have this drawing of a ''Snow village of the Esquimaux' from William Mogg's journals of his expedition to the Arctic. You can find out more about William Mogg from our blog here buff.ly/VuvJC9H @ARAScot.bsky.social

Are we stretching the #ArchiveAdventCalendar #NaughtyorNice theme today? The letter was written on *25 December* and concerns the *behaviour* [@zwhitehistory.bsky.social] of British troops at Estremoz @arascot.bsky.social Struggling with the Duke of Wellington's hand? Find a transcript in ALT text

How do you maintain #FestiveTraditions during an expedition to the Arctic? Explorer William Mogg gives his guide from the 1820s #ArchiveAdventCalendar @arascot.bsky.social "Christmas eve was ushered in by the crew with much rejoicing..."

Sending photographs to loved ones at Christmas time has always been popular and there are some fine early examples in the Special Collections at the University of Southampton #Festivetraditions #ArchiveAdventCalendar @arascot.bsky.social Find out more in our blog buff.ly/wybtPDm

“My house is the warmest and most comfortable in the county; and here I am obliged to trot off to go to seven or eight others.” A grumpy Duke of Wellington writing to Colonel Gurwood, from his Stratfield Saye home on 25 December 1836 #WarmFire #ArchiveAdventCalendar @arascot.bsky.social

Although W. Thorpe of Manchester has "a very large family & but a small income" he intends sending a portion of cannel [coal] to the Duke every winter as he is indebted to him for “the comfort I enjoy by my fireside”. #WarmFire #ArchiveAdventCalendar @arascot.bsky.social

Suggestions, some sounding familiar, for last minute Christmas presents courtesy of Lankester and Crook County Stores, 1923. They had many branches in the Southampton area and continued in business until the 1980s.

This little skier is rocking their #ChristmasColours ! #ArchiveAdventCalendar @arascot.bsky.social Stayed tuned as we'll be posting a couple more tree decorations over the next week

Happy 250th Birthday to #JaneAusten today! We have copies of the first editions of Emma (1816) and Northanger Abbey and Persuasion (1818) in our archives which came to us from the Blavatnik Honresfield Library via the Friends of the National Libraries @thefnl.bsky.social. #JaneAusten250

Celebrating Jane Austen and her world To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth on 16 December 1775, a “Behind the Scenes” Special Collections event will feature material from the collections relating to prominent themes within her novels and to Southampton, her home from 1806 to…

“I must in this season of mince pyes, add the good wishes that belong to it, which Kitty and you will trace to a better source than old custom…” Lady Olivia Sparrow writes to Sir Arthur (later the Duke of Wellington) and his wife in 1807 @arascot.bsky.social #ArchiveAdventCalendar #FestiveFood

We think Henry Temple (the future Lord Palmerston) was aged about six when, on 22 December, he wrote this letter about gobbling up "mince pyes" on "Christmass day" to his mother. @arascot.bsky.social #ArchiveAdventCalendar #FestiveFood

"All the ponds, puddles, and ditches hereabouts are covered with ice...so that tomorrow I dare say I shall be able to skate without risking my life." Harry, the future Lord Palmerston, writes from Harrow to his mother in November 1797 @arascot.bsky.social #ArchiveAdventCalendar #WinterSports

The Adler family at Bretaye in the Swiss Alps from their undated, but probably early 20th century, photograph album. @arascot.bsky.social #ArchiveAdventCalendar #WinterSports Learn more in our blog on Winter wonders: sporting fun buff.ly/tbdh027

"What is this about?" Anyone find it difficult to make sense of these documents? The Duke and his aides had the same problem! #WellingtonWednesday Herr Arnemann of Berlin sent the Duke poetic verses in 1822 hoping for payment. The correspondence was in a challenging hand but...

#OnThisDay in 1878 English portrait painter Flora Marguerite Lion was born. She had a long and successful career, known for her portraits of society figures, landscapes and murals. In this letter she accepts the commission for a portrait of the late Rev Morris Joseph of the West London Synagogue.

American actor, comedian, and stunt performer Harold Clayton Lloyd with his pet great Dane in Beverley Hills in 1931 #EYAPets @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social buff.ly/1densbN

For #EYASilence here is a black and white photograph from 1st June 1920 of a Welsh Guards orderly silencing the crowd for the address of the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII) at a wayside station called Winchelsea in Australia. @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social

Lady Palmerston writes a list of Christmas presents her husband might buy for their children in London. Dated “Saturday night, 23 Dec 1797”, this is a last-minute shopping spree! “With respect to the children’s presents the things they... @arascot.bsky.social #ArchiveAdventCalendar #Presents

Today, the World Health Organization is joining partners and communities around the globe to commemorate World AIDS Day 2025 under the theme “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response” #WorldAIDSDay Images from the Papers of Sir Donald Acheson buff.ly/6fU6koX

One of the most interesting aspects of cataloguing a Rare Book collection is imagining the journey each item has taken from its publication to the Archives strongrooms. Intrigued? Find out more in our most recent blog buff.ly/i8CYEnM

Cataloguing the Rare Books collection: school prizes and the imagination One of the most interesting aspects of cataloguing a Rare Book collection is imagining the journey each item has taken from its publication to the Archives strongrooms, especially when the book has been donated to the library…

Happy St Andrew's Day! This photograph of Sir Hugh Thomas Munro comes from an album complied by Nona Kerr around 1904 #Scotland #StAndrewsDay buff.ly/1j3TAnq

Today is #RedPlanetDay, commemorating the launch on 28 Nov 1964 of Mariner 4 - the first successful flyby of Mars - giving us the first photos from another planet - all I could find in our archives was this burry photo of the Martian desert (MS1/Phot/19/284) - answers on a postcard...

#OnThisDay in 1703 Southampton residents were beginning to clear up after the Great Storm which had crossed Britain during the night. This description of its impact appeared in ‘The Storm’ a collection of accounts compiled by Daniel Defoe and published in 1704.

Have you ever wondered where we store our rare books and archives? We have specialist strongrooms for the purpose: if you'd like to see them why not book onto one our our free tours taking place on 15 December 2025.

"He is a fine young man, perfectly well educated, took his degree last year at Cambridge, & of independent fortune." Colonel Pakenham seeks a commission for his nephew who sounds like quite a catch! buff.ly/tWXRev7 #WellingtonWednesday

"Mr Williams has I know, been most solicitous to obtain the high distinction of painting the portrait of Your Grace. But the Corporation feel, than an artist of the first class alone, should have that honour." This cutting letter from the Mayor of Dublin to the Duke dates from 1822. buff.ly/JWJvvQq

Lieutenant Moriarty of the Royal Navy, resident of Fareham, Hampshire, is hoping for a promotion from the Duke. Unfortunately Wellington doesn't remember him; his reply, somewhat hard to decipher, reads "Don't remember. Don't know him. Cannot recommend him." #WellingtonWednesday buff.ly/t0LRndc

#OnThisDay in 1892, Pierre de Coubertin first publicly proposed reviving the Olympic Games. Here's a 2001 photo of Miriam and Guin Batten with their graduation robes and Olympic silver medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics quadruple sculls. They both were members of the University Boat Club.

#OnThisDay in 1919 the British actor David Kossoff was born. Among other roles he played Alf Larkin in TV sitcom The Larkins. Find our more about his life and the collections we hold relating to him in our blog post:

21st November is World Television Day – we hold the papers of TV writer Norman J. Crisp under MS199 - he wrote episodes for `Dixon of Dock Green', `Dr Finlay's casebook, `Secret army' `Compact' and more... @explorearchives

Today marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the first of the Nuremberg Trials, which led to the conviction of 19 of the most influential Nazi leaders. Southampton's collections include books on the trials and papers from the subsequent Nuremberg Military Tribunals.

Looking Back, looking Forwards: Hartley Library transformations has now launched in the Level 4 Gallery at the Hartley Library and runs until 16 January 2026. The exhibition includes an exciting selection of items from our Archives and Special Collections from pre first world war to our latest...

Our Behind the Scenes tour will include a chance to visit our conservation studios and hear about the amazing work the team to to preserve and conserve our collections. @unisouthampton.bsky.social @uosengagement.bsky.social @historyatsoton.bsky.social

The Duke of Wellington's funeral was held #OnThisDay in 1852 at St. Paul's Cathedral and was the first large-scale service to take place under the iconic dome. Below you can see a copy of the programme for the funeral, and you can find out more about it from our blog post here buff.ly/mPuCwv9

Letters regarding loss of ship Lord Raglan, departed from Liverpool in 1863, & regarding a passenger, Mark Bernstein. Mrs Bernstein wished to remarry and the synagogue required proof of the death of her first husband @biajs.bsky.social @seethetreasures.bsky.social @parkesinstitute.bsky.social

Some really interesting correspondence found among the papers of the West London Synagogue respecting Mosaic Law and the proposed marriage of Mr Drucquer and Miss de Meza in 1872. @biajs.bsky.social @seethetreasures.bsky.social @parkesinstitute.bsky.social buff.ly/xHnc1E9

On this day in 1834 King William IV dismissed Lord Melbourne’s government – the last time a British monarch would dismiss a government with a majority in the Commons – Wellington became a caretaker Prime Minister but urged Peel to return from Europe ASAP! buff.ly/PbQlDg4 @explorearchives