✨ The York Magic and Witchcraft Conference is back for 2026! ✨ Join us in historic York from 24–26 June as we explore the mysteries of Nature and the Supernatural. 🪄🌿 Submit your abstracts by 14 March 2026 to [email protected] ☺️

Some great books and articles on archives and libraries that came out in 2025. In no specific order. 🧵

The Worshipful Company of Curriers essay prize on London for early career scholars, in association with The London Journal Trust and the Institute of Historical Research. The author of the winning submission will receive £1,000, and publication, subject to peer review, in The London Journal.

I've read quite a few married women's wills but never one made during childbirth. Great find! #EarlyModern 🗃️

Remember guys, @pcsunion.bsky.social staff at the BL are on strike for the next two weeks. Please don't cross the picket line to go to reading rooms, attend exhibitions or anything else. They've endured so much on low pay since the cyberattack in 2023 and the least we can do is have their backs now.

#OTD in 1540, Fountains Abbey was sold to Sir Richard Gresham after being seized by the Crown. An inventory of the abbey valued it at over £1100, making it the wealthiest Cistercian abbey in England #Yorkshire #History #Skystorians

#OTD in 1880 the Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading in Rio de Janeiro was inaugurated. I was lucky enough to visit the library during a trip to Brazil in January and the space is truly breathtaking! #Libraries #Skystorians #Brazil

No thoughts this morning, just this picture of the ceiling in the Henry VII Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey #History #Skystorians

Had a fascinating trip to @westminsterabbey.bsky.social last week to visit their library and archive collection! The white hart painting in the Muniment Room (the symbol of Richard II) was a personal favourite, and I think the Abbey wins the award for best view out of an archival storage space…

Believe it or not, this is a parish register from the seventeenth century that was damaged during a fire! 🔥 Heat causes the collagen fibres in the parchment to denature and shrink and eventually turn to gelatine, which sometimes has a ‘glassy’ appearance. #EarlyModern #Skystorians

I'm working through some #EarlyModern petitions and uncovering some fascinating stories. This one from residents near St-Dunstan-in-the-West is particularly relatable - burst water pipe chaos, and local council inaction - it's clear some problems never change! 💧 📷 COL/CA/05 #Skystorians

The National Archives is looking for an Early Modern Parliamentary Records Specialist. Pros: you'll get to work in the same department as me. Cons: you'll have to work in the same department as me. Details via the link. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOD893/r...

Some pictures of Blarney Castle from my whistle stop visit to Cork last week. Swipe to the end for a bonus picture of a crop circle of cows… 🐄

We're back with another #DiscoverTLA and this time we're looking at #TowerBridge because #OTD in 1885, the Corporation of London (Tower Bridge) Act was passed, authorising the bridge's construction... 📷 LPA: 235947 🧵 1/8

📣Call for Papers 📣 I am delighted to announce that 'Speech/less in the Early Modern World' will be held 23 April 2026 at Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge. Please share far and wide and do consider submitting a proposal! 🙊 Link to PDF version: bit.ly/4lZz80R

We're recruiting for a new role in the Early Modern team at TNA to help us integrate the Parliamentary Archives. I'm looking for someone with an expertise in pre-modern Westminster Parliament so we can join the executive, legislative and judicial collections www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOD893/r...

Had a lovely first trip to Durham for the #DCDC25 conference, including the fantastic #HIVstory keynote. The cathedral isn’t too shabby either…

Some timeline cleansing pictures from my recent trip to Canterbury! The first picture, Conquest House at 17 Palace Street, is actually a house with medieval interiors but a 19th century exterior. #Canterbury #History

I had good fun going down this little rabbit hole researching one of the women in our trade card collection! #EarlyModern #Skystorians #History

Do you like a timelapse? We love a timelapse! Here is timelapse of our staff installing our *FREE* Shakespeare in London display. 📅 On display until 2nd October 2025 Tickets: www.thelondonarchives.org/visit-us/exh... #Shakespeare #London #FreeEvent #Archives #LondonHistory

Only 1 WEEK left to vote for us to win the #ARA Record-Keeping Service of the Year award! You can read about our nomination and vote for us below 👇 www.archives.org.uk/recordkeepin... @araukie.bsky.social #Archives

📣 EVENT KLAXON📣 Did you know we have curator-led tours of our London in the Second World War exhibition? We have four tours this July: 📅 8th July 📅 12th July 📅 16th July 📅 22nd July Ticket can be booked below 👇 www.thelondonarchives.org/whats-on/cur... #exhibition #archives

To celebrate the opening of the Shakespeare in London display @thelondonarchives.bsky.social, here is a photo of the First Folio from @guildhalllibrary.bsky.social that I was able to nab a few years ago #Shakespeare #EarlyModern #History #Skystorians

We're excited to be starting a series called #DiscoverTLA where we'll looking in-depth at some of our most important documents. Stay tuned for our first post on one of our iconic LGBTQ+ records 🏳️‍🌈 #Archives #Skystorians #LondonHistory

Yet another example of daughters‘ essential roles in bookselling families: In 1581-2, Middelburg bookseller Dierick van Helmondt repeatedly sent his daughter Janne to buy books from Plantin in Antwerp and settle his accounts (his son worked in the business too) (Museum Plantin-Moretus Arch. 60 f. 2)

Thrilled to say that earlier this month, I had the honour of being awarded the Curriers' Company London History Essay Prize @guildhalllibrary.bsky.social‬ 🎉 @thelondonjournal.bsky.social‬ #LondonHistory

These are accounts from the City's Cash from the 1660-70s, offering incredible insights into City of London's finances. However, they're incredibly hefty! 📷 The London Archives, COL/CHD/CT/01/013 #Skystorians #History #EarlyModern

Tomorrow at 14:00! Join us for our final webinar on teaching the #earlymodern. We'll be joined by Claire Titley (@thelondonarchives.bsky.social) to talk about cross-institutional collaboration. kingsearlymodern.co.uk/events/teach...

Some belated pictures from my trip to Florence back in April 📷 Piazza della Signoria #Italy #Firenze #History

Jaw-dropping find by a Dutch man, who once bought a small etched chest at an auction for his wedding rings. The chest was locked but he just got & filed a random key & managed to open it. He recently had it appraised at a Dutch TV show. Turns out it's from 16th-century Nuremberg! 🤯 #EarlyModern 🗃️

A lovely find looking through some freedom admissions recently. This freedom is for Godfrey Roberts to the Company of Framework Knitters in May 1799. The logo of the company has not changed much in the last 226 years! 📷 @The London Archives, COL/CHD/FR/02/1228 #EarlyModern #Skystorians #History

I am still thinking about this beautiful fireplace in The Great Chamber of The Charterhouse that I saw earlier this week The fireplace was installed in 1570, but the painted mantle was added some time in the early 1600s 📷 The Charterhouse

I was lucky enough to have a fantastic visit and tour around The Charterhouse last week with some of my colleagues! Amazed to see so many historic buildings tucked away in central London #Skystorians #history

Just remembered that yesterday it was two years since I passed my PhD viva! Time flies, and although I haven’t worked in the HE sector in almost 3 years, I’m still yapping about the Court of Orphans @thelondonarchives.bsky.social #EarlyModern #History

#OTD in 1536, Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife, was executed on Tower Hill. This beautiful print from our collection shows the royal couple during potentially 'happier' times. This print is a frontispiece for a Victorian 'Book of Beauty' printed in 1846. #TheTudors #AnneBoleyn

Hello! We're The London Archives, a free public archive focusing on the history of London from 1067. We look after over 100km of manuscripts, books, drawings, engravings, photos and films spanning 1000 years of London's history! Give us a follow. #archives #history #LondonHistory

The London Archives is hosting @rhiggitt.bsky.social and Jasmine Kilburn-Toppin to talk us through the roots and development of a scientific culture in C17th-18th London. Sign up to find out where and how modern science developed! #earlymodern #history 19/2/25 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/metropolit...

'Work, Authenticity and Social Identity in #EarlyModern Britain' Submit an abstract by Feb 1st and come along to Warwick on June 10-11th.🗃️ Excited to be speaking alongside @markhailwood.bsky.social, @jwhittle.bsky.social and Steve Hindle! Details here: warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/his...

Please share the CFP for our conference: 'Bodies and Environments in the Early Modern World'. Our keynotes are Marcy Norton @marcynorton.bsky.social (Pennsylvania) & Sara Miglietti (Warburg Institute). Join us 9-10 June at JRRIL, Manchester. Further details at: sites.manchester.ac.uk/sleeping-wel...

CEMS @ KCL is hosting a conference - Rethinking State and Society in #earlymodern Britain - on 17th Dec. Organised by Dr. Jonah Miller. Come along! Full details and sign up: kingsearlymodern.co.uk/events/confe... @hsmurphy.bsky.social

🗣️Calling all students/ECRs! The London Archives are hosting Lightning Talk sessions in January for any topics on London and Londoners. Sign up and submit abstracts below ⬇️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lightning-...

Anyone whose visit to the BL has been thwarted might find that the Guildhall Library has some of the items you wanted to see. They have a *big* collection of early printed books as well as secondary sources: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do... They're open Mon-Thurs. Much quicker retrieval too!

I have a growing number of international academic clients for my archival research services. Feels a good way forward from a time, budget, and climate perspective (though I would say that!). If anyone is looking for someone to visit UK archives then get in touch: www.josephsaundershistory.co.uk

Autumn in Clerkenwell 🍂

So my survey got attacked by some bots, and now I've lost 50% of my data. Please help me get to 1,000 real humans who actually meet my survey criteria? This sad PhD candidate thanks you in advance.

I had a great time speaking at Archives for London’s September seminar last night. A huge thank you to everyone who came, and for all for the interesting questions!

My first ever post, so sharing a lovely framed item in our collections brought over to the LMA from our strong rooms at Guildhall, but can anyone spot the problem?

"As a result of the changes, AHRC expects to fund one quarter fewer PhD students, reducing from 425 to around 300 new studentships per year by 2029 to 2030." www.ukri.org/news/update-...