None of us had to skate to work this morning, but otherwise this is an accurate description of York today! The picture is taken from the scrapbook of young Laura Hannam, begun in 1819 and now part of the university's Rare Books collection.

A very Happy Christmas to those who celebrate from all of us at the Borthwick! This festive card was sent by First World War soldier Herbert Williams to his sweetheart Eva Hill back home in Manchester and is taken from the recently catalogued Alfred Peacock Archive: borthcat.york.ac.uk/pea-1-23-23

And that's us done for the year! Thank you for all your enquiries and your visits over the past 12 months, we'll be back on the 5th January for all your archive needs 😊 In the meantime you can always drop us an email at the usual address: [email protected]

Calling any Skipton based followers here! As we work through the archive of architect George Pace, we've come across a whole stack of rather lovely ink sketches of all the buildings on Skipton High Street made as part of a 'street improvement plan' in the early 1960s.

This year we have been running the Mentally Fit York funded project 'Stories of Mental Health from York: Past, Present and Future.' Working with two brilliant local artists, we have engaged target groups across York with archives from The Retreat. #EYAInclusion @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social

#DidYouKnow over the course of 2025 we have been building Discover, our new Digital Library platform? We'll be adding to the site over the coming months, making more of our collections available wherever you are in the world! discover.york.ac.uk #EYADigital @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social

‪If you want to see our Keeper of Archives @gbrannanarchive.bsky.social talking about our Galton and Simpson archive, look no further!

This deed of King Richard III from January 1485 came to us on deposit earlier this year. It's granting Sir James Tyrell (yes, that one!) the Lieutenancy of Guines Castle in the Marches of Calais. This meant he didn't take part in the Battle of Bosworth. #EYAMedieval @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social

It's time for the last Borthwick newsletter of the year - this month featuring Quality Street, the art of gurning, breeches in the Garden of Eden, and (of course) another sneak peek into our brand new Terrance Dicks Archive... www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/ne...

In March we completed the conservation of an 18th-century parish register from Nevis. The register has been cleaned, repaired and digitised, and returned to Nevis in a special ceremony with dignitaries, parish representatives and the local community. youtu.be/yex_Br6t0ak?... #EYAConservation

Another sneaky look inside our new Terrance Dicks Archive!

It’s a very happy #DoctorWhoDay from us - we’re delighted to announce we’ve successfully acquired the archive of Whoniverse legend Terrance Dicks 😲 Read more at the link: www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/ne...

Not to get ahead of ourselves but we are just putting the finishing touches to a VERY exciting announcement for Doctor Who Day on Sunday. Watch this space... (pun absolutely intended).

Did you know gurning, or 'pulling a face', has a long and fascinating history? You can find out more in our guest blog from @uoylibrary.bsky.social colleague Simon Batchelor who takes a closer look at one of the rare books in our Cooper Abbs Collection. blogs.york.ac.uk/borthwick-in...

If you missed out on the UK snow this morning feel free to make your own, courtesy of this 18th century recipe from the archive of the Earls of Halifax. All you'll need is a quart of cream, 6 egg whites, rose water & sugar, and the crucial 'Cloven stick' or 'bunch of twiggs' for the beating.

And here's the baptism record of 'Guye Fawxe', son to Edward Fawxe. Taken from the parish register of St Michael le Belfrey which is held here at the Borthwick. He was baptised on the 16th April 1570. Fun fact: the entry below Guy's is a little faded from all the fingers run across it!

November has arrived and so has our latest newsletter! This month including thousands of historic hospital records digitised for free online, a glimpse inside the Galton and Simpson archive, and a fascinating First World War collection (featuring this beautiful card). www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/ne...

You might think a Rowntree's Easter catalogue could have nothing to do with #Halloween, but that's because you haven't seen the two-sided chocolate twin face egg of 1932. A bargain at 1 shilling.

Whilst it might not count as one of your 5 a day, we think the Terry's Dessert Apple is worth a mention on #AppleDay! Launched in 1926, this Terry's of York product looked like an apple, but didn't taste like one. It was made of dark chocolate and intended as an after-dinner novelty.

On 3rd November The Rowntree Society will be shining a light on a little known aspect of Rowntree history - their newspaper ownership in the early 20th century. You can find out more (& get your free tickets) at the link below, or scan the QR code on the poster! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rowntree-n...

Perceptions of mental health and its treatment have changed enormously over the past 250 years. This #WorldMentalHealthDay we're pleased to announce you can now view records from 3 of York's historic psychiatric hospitals online: Bootham Park, Clifton and The Retreat discover.york.ac.uk/collections/

Explore the strange, unsettling tale of Hannah Beswick, the 18th-century woman whose body was preserved and placed on display in Manchester. Long wrapped in folklore as the 'Manchester Mummy', author Hannah Priest reveals the truth: open.spotify.com/episode/4hsi... @uoyborthwick.bsky.social

New Podcast Alert!! Out of the Archive Box, our Borthwick podcast, is BACK! Join Access & Digital Engagement Archivist @Lauray-archives.bsky.social as she chats to Hannah Priest, author of 'Unburied: The True Story of Hannah Beswick, the Manchester Mummy' about her research! buff.ly/HHS9V4o.

It's 1st October and time for the latest edition of the Borthwick Newsletter! This month we feature 4 new catalogues, 3 new podcasts, some early comedy scripts, and a look behind the scenes of the famous Jorvik Viking Centre. www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/ne...

Our new Borthwick Paper podcast is now available for your listening pleasure - Ruby Hogan examines changing conceptions of childhood, 1870-1914, through the archives of the Mount School, York, here at the Borthwick. open.spotify.com/episode/0S8P...

This painting was created by George Isaac Sidebottom, a patient at The Retreat psychiatric hospital in York from 1894-1912. It shows the hospital grounds and some of the pastimes available to patients - with 4 dogs, a rat (?) and an elusive cat included for today's #OnlineArtExchange animal theme!

Love books? Us too! From now until 3rd October there’s a chance to get your hands on some of the Borthwick's back catalogue - with all available stock 50% off. Browse online or pop by our searchroom in person. On Friday 3rd we'll be open 10am-3pm, with bundle discounts on selected titles

As it's a Victorian theme for this week's #OnlineArtExchange for @artukdotorg.bsky.social we couldn't resist adding this entertaining mathematical sketch from one of the girls of the Mount School, York, in 1895.

Latest Ep out now. We chat about the road trip to the Galton & Simpson archive @uoyborthwick.bsky.social and review the Desperate Hours: linktr.ee/steppodandson

If you're in the Burton Library @uoylibrary.bsky.social, don't miss our new student-curated archives exhibition! The cases include copies of items from the Rowntree & Co archive curated by our Archives Insight Week students back in June. We had so much fun working with them on this project!

We're back at University of York Open Days with an archives display in our searchroom @uoylibrary.bsky.social! Pop in and see us on the first floor of the Burton Library to find out more about our amazing collections and how we support teaching and learning. We'll be here between 10am and 3pm!

Another fascinating item from the Alfred Peacock Archive (currently being catalogued). This small stiff piece of fabric is labelled as a relic of a German aeroplane, retrieved on 9th August 1918 at the Battle of Amiens. The design suggests the printed 'lozenge camouflage' in use from late 1916.

September is finally here and so is our latest newsletter! This month featuring The Goon Show Preservation Society, the first census, a surprise accession (often the best kind) and the charitable legacy of the remarkable Lady Elizabeth Hastings. www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/ne...

Among the records of the York Spiritualist Centre we have a fascinating album of 'spirit photographs' taken at York by William Hope in 1930 & 1932. These ghostly images purported to capture local people with their 'psychic extras', some of whom were known to the sitters #WorldPhotographyDay

Another fascinating find in the Peacock Archive - picture postcards sent home by Private Clarence Long which show life at Heuberg Prisoner of War camp. Clarence was from Bradford & joined up in 1915 but was captured at the Somme on 1st July 1916, spending the remainder of the war as a German POW.

A small surprise found tucked away in the pages of this First World War Field Service Pocket Book this morning! The book belonged to William Thomas Benfield of the South Wales Borderers and it's part of the archive of local military historian Alfred Peacock: borthcat.york.ac.uk/pea

🚨Just a reminder that we'll be in the Yorkshire Room from 11am-1pm today with an array of documents and photographs telling the story of Joseph Rowntree. If you'd like to come along, head to the J.B. Morrell Library on the main university campus. We're through the turnstiles and then to the right 😊

Alright so it's not an animal (although animals were definitely involved) but we have an Absolute Unit* of a probate register out in our searchroom today worthy of @themerl.bsky.social *pencil pot provided for scale

As part of the Joseph Rowntree Centenary we've partnered with The Rowntree Society to curate a display of original archival documents exploring Joseph's life and legacy & we'd love you to come and see it! Drop into The Yorkshire Room any time between 11-1 this Friday 8th August to find out more🍫

It's the 1st August AND Yorkshire Day so double the reason to share what we've been up to via our brand new Borthwick Newsletter. This month we feature a new podcast, writer and actress Yvonne Mitchell, a forthcoming Joseph Rowntree display & some Borthwick lore! www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/ne...

If you're at #DCDC25 today why not come and say hello! We're taking part in this year's History Day North from 12.30-16.30, where Lydia and Laura will be ready and waiting to answer all your Borthwick history questions :)

Spotted in the parish register of St Michael le Belfrey, York. The next few pages of the register tell their own story. The clerk has hastily scribbled out the headings of multiple pre-prepared 'baptisms' and 'Weddings' columns and inserted a new heading of 'Buryalls' instead.

We have a brand new catalogue online to start a brand new week! The archive of multi-talented actress and writer Yvonne Mitchell is now available to search on Borthcat: borthcat.york.ac.uk/ymit

If you were a child of the 1970s, you may have had a copy of a small colourful book called 'But Wednesday Cried', telling the story of 7 cats named for the days of the week. The archive of its writer, the talented actress & novelist Yvonne Mitchell, includes these charming early drafts of the story.

This year The Rowntree Society have been sharing the #JR100 list to mark the centenary of Joseph Rowntree, featuring quite a few items from the Borthwick's extensive Rowntree holdings! You can read a blog about the challenge of limiting it to just 100 here: www.rowntreesociety.org.uk/researching-...

The latest Borthwick Newsletter is here - this month featuring the new catalogue of Terry's of York, the confectionery maker that gave the world the Chocolate Orange, All Gold, York Fruits - and the Oliver musical?? Find out all about this (and more) at the link: www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/ne...

If you're planning a trip to the Family History Fair in Acomb this Saturday, please come and say hello! We'll be bringing our new leaflets and pencils (as well as our enthusiastic selves) and will be very happy to talk at length about our archives and answer any and all questions about them :)

Today we're having a gander at the minute books of the Merchant Adventurers. The archive is held with our friends @uoyborthwick.bsky.social and contains documents from the 1200s to the present day. The minutes from meetings are from the 17th to the late 20th century. A short thread...

When you work with parish records you get used to seeing a lot of interesting historical names, but we particularly enjoyed spotting 'Boylling Knight' in the register of St Michael le Belfrey. It seems especially apt given the mini heatwave we're having here in Yorkshire! 🌞🌞🥵

#ICYMI An interview with our very own @gbrannanarchive.bsky.social featured on BBC Breakfast this morning, following a visit by the cast of The Last Laugh to see our Eric Morecambe archives on Wednesday. Thanks to Tom Ingall from BBC Look North for the report! 1/2