'The Excellency of the Pen and Pencil...' dated 1668 (BAY H 4.6 NO 39) A reader this week requested this unique guide for drawing, painting & engraving. With instruction on techniques in the formats for the best effect. Aimed at gentlemen 'and other Ingenious Spirits, either Artificers or others...'

Yesterday we held another Collections Focus talk this time by Senior Librarian Isabelle Chevallot about the Great Plague of 1665, which wiped out 100,000 people in the City of London. A variety of original sources and contemporary accounts were available to consult by a keen audience. 📜📖

The cover of the 'Daily Graphic' (ST. 1559-1563) from Tuesday 12th November, 1918 announces the end of the First World War. Crowds gathered at Buckingham Palace and all over London.

A new Lady Mayor of the City of London was celebrated this weekend in all its grandeur. A look into our collections at Guildhall Library has revealed this beautiful & elaborate Victorian invitation to the event from 1882 (S PAM 851)

Tomorrow is the Lady Mayor's show! To celebrate we're showing a small snippet of 'A full and regulated panoramic view of the military procession of the Lord Mayor's Show' publish in 1865. The images are woodcuts with black and coloured ink.

We wanted to invite you to the second part of the 2025 annual CERL seminar: Your library is your portrait: Engaging with Founding Collections in the 21st century. The full programme: www.cerl.org/services/sem... FREE to attend in person at Guildhall Library or online. Please email for details.

Our core collection covers London and its history. Below are some images from G.W. Bacon's '"Portable" Atlas of London & Suburbs', published in 1897 (shelf mark: AN 4.5.19). Can you spot where Guildhall is? 👀

🎆 It's Bonfire Night🎆 To celebrate we're showing our copy of 'The second booke teaching most exactly, the composing of all manner of fire-works for tryumph and recreation' by John Bate, published in 1635 (shelf marl: S PAM 479).

#Onthisday in 1530, Henry VIII's chief minister, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, was arrested for high treason. Shortly after, Wolsey died while be transported to London for trial. Below are images taken from 'The negotiations of Thomas Woolsey' published in 1641 (shelf mark: AN 2.1.12).

Since 1958, Guildhall Library has housed the Gresham Music Collection, which includes significant musical works. Among them is an 1840 piano and vocal score of Gioacchino Rossini's opera Guglielmo Tell (Shelf mark: G MUS 170). The opera's 'March of the Swiss Soldiers' is frequently used in media.

🎃Happy Halloween….🎃 ‘The impossibility of witchcraft : plainly proving from scripture and reason that there never was a witch…’ from 1712 (PAM 1515) is about the case of Jane Wenham from Hertfordshire convicted of witchcraft. It argues against her conviction with theological & rational reasoning.

🎇 Remember, Remember - the Gunpowder Plot 🎇 Tuesday 4th November, 2-3pm Free ONLINE talk (In-person sold out) Registration required. Over 400 years on we still celebrate the fact that the Gunpowder Plot failed. With City of London Guide Jill Finch. thegunpowderplottalk4nov.eventbrite.co.uk

🐱To mark #nationalcatsday & the companionship of cats, this charming children’s tale of 1885 ‘Dame Wiggins of Lee’ by A Lady of Ninety (AN 19.1.15), ed. by John Ruskin, tells of an old lady who lives with her 7 cats. They help her with work & keep her good company. Illustrations by Kate Greenaway.🐾

#OnThisDay in 1831, Michael Faraday demonstrated his pioneering invention, the electric generator. 'The Life and Letters of Faraday' (B:F 219) by Dr Bence Jones (1870) examines his life and work.⚡️

🥂 It's World Champagne Day 🥂 To celebrate we're show our copy of 'A history of champagne' by Henry Vizetelly, published in 1882 (shelf mark: WTC 1796).

Here our a glimpse of our collection relating to Black History to celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth!

Stacey Grimaldi's "A Suit of Armour for Youth" (1824) is an early example of a "moveable" book with flaps that could be lifted. We’re lucky enough to have a copy with all its moveable parts intact! Each flap displays a knightly item, revealing virtues like loyalty and wisdom beneath.

On this day in 1805, the Royal Navy, led by Admiral Nelson, defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar—crushing Napoleon’s invasion hopes. The battle occurred west of Cape Trafalgar, Spain. Below are images from Orme’s Graphic History of Nelson (GR 6.2.6).

🦥 Happy International Sloth Day!🦥 To celebrate we're showing this image of a sloth from 'A new dictionary of natural history' by William Frederick Martyn published in 1785 ( shelf mark: AN 14.3.13).

#FreeEvent on Wed 22 Oct, 2pm: "1425 - Off The Shelf!" talk by Louise Halfpenny, City of London Guide. Tying in with Guildhall Library 600th anniversary, this is an art lover’s guide to 1425. Booking is essential: (online & in-person) offtheshelftalk.eventbrite.co.uk #artlovers #treasures

Examples of Victorian innovations in refrigeration are shown in ‘Ash’s Patent ‘Piston’ Freezing Machine and Wine Cooler….’ (PAM 9077) by George Simpson, 1863. The device was a metal-lined wooden tub with cylinders and an agitator to mix crushed ice and 'freezing powders' to maintain the cold🍧🍦

#FreeEvent on Thurs 16 Oct, 2pm: "Coventry Cathedral: Icon and Inspiration" talk by Alexandra Epps, Arts Society Lecturer. Experience the work of many of the world-class artists associated with its treasures. Please book via: coventrycathedraltalk.eventbrite.co.uk (online & in-person event)

New blog! Read our new blog on Early London and Gothic Architecture: guildhalllibrarynewsletter.wordpress.com/2025/10/15/e...

⭐️Lee Miller 📸⭐️ Thursday 23rd October - 2-3pm Free online talk tickets available! leemillertalk.eventbrite.co.uk

'The Orchard: including management of wall and standard fruit trees...' (GC 2.1.) by Charles McIntosh, 1839 is a detailed horticultural guide to propagating and growing a wide range of fruit trees.

This month’s Collection Focus talk was on our Penny Dreadfuls and Penny Bloods. From the best selling Mysteries of London by George Reynolds to The Romance of Reality of which we are thought to be the only library holding a copy. We'll be repeating this talk in our next events programme.

#FreeEvent on Tues 14 Oct, 2pm: "Plague Houses and Pandemics" talk by Alison Wall, Health Visitor & Researcher. Please book via: plaguehousestalk.eventbrite.co.uk (online & in-person event)

The final part of our blog series on mid-20th century Chinese cookbooks is now live! Read here: guildhalllibrarynewsletter.wordpress.com/2025/10/10/e...

📖 It's Banned Books Week 📖 It’s a week to celebrate books which have been challenged, banned, or silenced—and those who defend them. To celebrate we're sharing our copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Shelfmark: B:D 645) which was banned in China and the United States.

Thank you to everyone who attended our 600th anniversary exhibition launch! We hope to see you again at our upcoming events. Special thanks to Professor Caroline Barron for her fascinating talk on the original Guildhall Library in 1452.

It’s #BlackHistoryMonth – this year’s theme is Standing Firm in Power and Pride. This drawing from 'Souvenirs de Londres' by French artist Lami shows a Black boxer in a London match in 1826. Although we know little about the boxer, Lami's portrayal highlights the presence of Black figures in London

#FreeEvent on Tues 7 Oct, 2pm: "New Beginnings: Rebuilding after the Great Fire" talk by Jill Finch, City Guide. New rules and regulations and new ideas meant a renewed City emerged like a phoenix from the ashes. Please book via: (online & in-person event). newbeginningstalk7oct.eventbrite.co.uk

New merch alert! 🛍️🎉 Celebrate Guildhall Library's 600th anniversary with our new tote bag and postcard. Tote bag - £5 Postcard - 40p Both are ready for purchase at the Library.

🌟Online tickets available!🌟 1425 - Off the Shelf! Wednesday 22nd October, 2-3pm Tying in with the 600th anniversary of the library, this is an art lover's guide to 1425. offtheshelftalk.eventbrite.co.uk

Japanning emerged in the 1600s in Britain, France, Italy, and the Low Countries. This decorative art style was developed to imitate East Asian lacquer work and was often used on furniture. ⁣ Below are images from 'A treatise of japaning and varnishing' (shelf mark: AN 9.3.1), published in 1688.

One of our treasures in our new exhibition 'Guildhall Library 600' that tells of its long history. 'The Bible : translated according to the Ebrew and Greeke....' London 1589. Deposited here by the Tylers and Brickmakers’ Company. It was common practice to chain books to shelves in these times.

This wonderful tiny dictionary is part of our new Guildhall Library 600th anniversary exhibition showing treasures from our collections. 'The World's Smallest English Dictionary' published circa 1890 by David Bryce, Glasgow. Still with its tiny metal case that makes it particularly appealing. 📖🌟

Some exquisite drawings of St. Paul's Cathedral from one of the books shown at our recent #OpenHouse exhibition - 'St. Paul's Cathedral, London' by F.E. Poley, 1927 (418.3) Measured, drawn and described by the author.

#FreeEvent on Wednesday 24 Sept, 2pm: "Shakespeare in the City" talk by Pete Smith. This talk will introduce you to what traces of him can still be found in and around the City. Please book via: (online & in-person event) shakespeareinthecitytalk.eventbrite.co.uk

We had a busy #OpenHouse2025 on Saturday 20th showing an exhibition on the history of London's architecture through many of our architecture-related treasures & materials. From the Normans through to Brutalism via English Baroque, the Arts & Crafts and Modernist periods. Enjoyed by many! 🏛️🤩

Discover the Story of London Through Its Architecture! 🕍🌟 Saturday 20th September - 12-4pm #dropin: Learn how London’s buildings have evolved, blended, and sometimes clashed to create the city we know today. #freeevent #openhouse2025 guildhalllibraryopenhouse.eventbrite.co.uk

New blog post! Read part 2 of our blog post series about mid-20th century Chinese cookbooks here: guildhalllibrarynewsletter.wordpress.com/2025/09/18/e... If you missed the first part, you can read it here: guildhalllibrarynewsletter.wordpress.com/2025/08/29/e...

Dorothy Tennant (1855–1926) was a painter & illustrator. At Guildhall, we hold the 8th edition of 'London Street Arabs' (Shelf mark: A 3.6 NO 40), featuring 28 plates of her striking illustrations of London’s children.

These beautifully coloured illustrations from Loyal Volunteers No. 9 (Shelf mark: AN 9.5.7) depict members of London’s volunteer corps, formed in response to the threat of a Napoleonic invasion. Right: Guildhall Infantry volunteer Left: Cheap Ward volunteer

Event on Tues 16 Sept, 2pm: "The 1890 Penny Postage Jubilee Exhibition at Guildhall" talk by John Davies. A grand Exhibition and Conversazione, organised by the Corporation of the City of London at Guildhall in May 1890. Please book via: 1890pennypostagejubileetalk.eventbrite.co.uk

Augustus Charles Pugin (1762 – 1832) was an architectural draughtsman & worked with architect John Nash. Later, he became a commercial artist. His work is featured in The Microcosm of London (STORE 408.1). See his works at our Open House event on London’s architecture - Sat, Sept 20, 12-4pm.

Please share! Our new FREE exhibition celebrating 600 years since the founding of Guildhall Library is up! Opening Monday! It'll be open Mondays-Thursdays 10-4 as well as Saturday 20th for Open House! Includes the history of the original library, medieval manuscripts and early printed books!

New blog! Read here: guildhalllibrarynewsletter.wordpress.com/2025/09/09/p...

Our new exhibition celebrating 600 years since the founding of the original Guildhall Library is opening next Monday 15th!!! This exhibition looks at the founding of the library, what it was like, why it closed, and the origins and development of the current Guildhall Library.

Alternatively, I'm doing a talk at my beloved @guildhalllibrary.bsky.social later in November which is FREE 🎉 How To Stage the Lord Mayor’s Show in the 17th Century www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-sta...