A medieval dragon for St. David’s Day - decoration from the 15th century chancel screen at Crowland Abbey in Lincolnshire. 📸 My own. #StDavidsDay #CrowlandAbbey

'Sweet as springtime flowers' - Taming of the Shrew (II, 1) Some springtime views of the Abbey's 900-year-old College Garden, with daffodils, narcissi and crocuses all in flower #ShakespeareSunday

The ‘Pilgrim Hare’ from St. Mary’s Church at Beverley in East Yorkshire. Dating to the mid-14th century, the hare is dressed as a pilgrim, hence the title. It is thought that the carving was the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s White Rabbit. 📸 My own. #StoneworkSunday #Beverley

2/2 Three graces, passing benefits from one to the next in the midst of Botticelli's Spring, c, 1480.

Born (possibly) on this day in 1445, in Florence, the great Sandro Botticelli. Starting off his day with his Primavera, because don't we all wish spring would arrive?

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Happy St David’s Day 🌼

“Tell him, I'll knock his leek about his pate
Upon Saint Davy's day.” (#Shakespeare, Henry V) Happy #StDavidsDay 🌼

JOB ALERT 📜📚 Librarian & executive director of Yale’s Lewis Walpole Library (Farmington, CT) •Research center for 18th-century Britain •You’d report to the fabulous Michelle Light careers.yale.edu/us/en/job/13...

Good night! BL Add 16577; Festival prayer book, Italian rite; 3rd quarter of the 15th century; Italy; f.44v

Frida Kahlo, Me and my parrot, 1941 #womensart

Happy #Caturday

We strive to make our primary source collections as easy to explore as possible. This is why our skilled editorial team ensure that our collections are tagged comprehensively! Learn about our tags and search filters at britishonlinearchives.com/posts/catego....

This is cool. Attached to these depositions for a case between two clerks is a schedule of all the marriages, baptisms, and burials performed by the defendant clerk in St John Clerkenwell between 1771 and 1773. TNA E 134/15Geo3/Trin4 discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6...

Friends near TRURO - we are performing a wonderful production of HAMLET this week with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Come and say hello!

This ca. 5,000-year-old Neolithic polished flint axe with its original ash wood handle is remarkable well preserved. During the Neolithic period in Denmark, as agriculture began to expand, farmers had to clear the forests, which involved felling trees and burning away brushwood in...🧵1/2 📷me 🏺

It is as hilarious as “Derry Girls”. @drnwillburger.bsky.social

We’re delighted to share that A History of the British Museum Library, 1753–1973 by P. R. Harris is now digitised and freely available to all interested in the history of the Museum and librarianship. Find out more here: link.bl.uk/vvx

Our current exhibition celebrates the 600th anniversary of the library! 🎉The exhibition traces the history of the original library and displays many library treasures. As well as a look at the current Guildhall Library founded in 1824. Open Monday-Thursday 10-4. Free and no booking required!

Nobody ever expects them, but the Spanish Inquisition turn up a couple of times in the Court of Requests catalogue [TNA REQ 2] discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_a...

Evidence of cross-actions, be still my beating heart! A list of fees for appearances in the Courts of King's Bench, Guildhall, and Requests in 1589-90. TNA REQ 2/369/115

To be fair, I've seen worse. #ExtremeCataloguing

Early Medieval Burial Ground Discovered in #Scotland. #Archaeology www.medievalists.net/2026/02/earl...

My books cartoon for this week’s @theguardian.com

'My noble steed' - Coriolanus (I, 9) Prince Edmund 'Couchback' was the second son of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence. He is buried beside the Abbey's High Altar and in the wooden canopy above his tomb, Edmund is depicted as a praying knight on horseback. #ShakespeareSunday #Horses

Another gem from the King's Bench affidavits in KB 1. This deponent, charged with being the father of a child, agreed to pay the mother money "rather than expose himself and his character to the world". [TNA KB 1/3/3/4]

🌿🤍💚

Contented cat.

I still get a thrill when I open up an archive box and find the original sack that used to hold the records. This is an 18th Century sack used for holding King's Bench affidavits [TNA KB 1/3]

Tracy Chapman (b.1964), award winning US singer-songwriter #WomensArt

We're marking World Pangolin Day by remembering that Roman soldiers would routinely dress as pangolins before going into battle.

I wrote the history of the Parliamentary Archives! Newly published in Archives, Journal of @britrecs.bsky.social along with articles by @dlprior.bsky.social @adrianbrown.bsky.social - check your library for access! liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/toc/archives...

For lent this year I'm giving up napping. I shall still be sleeping, kipping and snoozing though.

We’re hosting MA students from the University of Greenwich today to explore the activities of St Paul’s Churchyard—particularly the early modern book trade. Naturally, we brought out our Shakespeare First Folio 😌

The REQ 2 catalogue project is now up to REQ 2/390. Lots of 17th century goodness in these new descriptions discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/r/C...

Ulysses and the Sirens, from The Odyssey by Homer, a Roman mosaic from 3rd century AD Dougga. Now in Musee du Bardo, Tunis, Tunisia. #MosaicMonday

Streets of Minneapolis (Radio Mix) Directed by Thom Zimny Edited by Thom Zimny and Samuel Shapiro Production Footage: Pam Springsteen and Thom Zimny

Embroidery design by May Morris (1862-1938) influential English artisan, embroidery designer, jeweller, socialist, and editor #WomensArt

“As fit as …a pancake for Shrove Tuesday”. (#Shakespeare, All’s Well that Ends Well”) Happy #PancakeDay

Congrats @thegozfather.bsky.social for a brilliant lecture at IHR on the exciting information he has found in cataloguing Court of Request and Star Chamber manuscript records at The National Archives, Kew: #ManuscriptsRock

Yes it’s Valentine’s Day. But it’s also the chosen birthday of Frederick Douglass who was born in 1818 on a plantation in Talbot County, Maryland. He escaped from slavery & rose to become the most eloquent and forceful voice for the abolition of slavery & for Black voting rights in the U.S.

Great sitting down with Brian Tyler Cohen to talk about everything from the courage we saw in Minnesota, to how Democrats can be true to our values and get stuff done, to how we’re building a community of changemakers at the Obama Foundation. youtube.com/watch?v=uI-hgSE5QIw

Margaret Agnes Rope (1882-1953) British stained glass artist in the Arts and Crafts movement tradition #womensart

Scottish artist Elizabeth Blackadder (1931-2021) #WomensArt

This French medieval manuscript is a little younger than the Roman Empire, when Saint Valentine was alive, but it depicts the Roman Saint Valentine and his followers. #valentinesday #loveday #romanhistory #ancienthistory #romanos #rome #antiquity #historytidbits #romanempire

A romance cartoon for the @theguardian.com

My old pal @mortenmorland.bsky.social celebrating my 15th anniversary in Downing Street in style

15 years ago today I arrived on Downing Street in a cage. I've seen off Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss and Sunak and I'm still going strong. Only two Prime Ministers have ever done longer stints here: William Pitt the Younger and Sir Robert Walpole. Bill and Bob - I'm coming for you... (Photos AP)

"I shot at a very fair wight [Eliz I] and in the loosing of my arrow my elbow was wrested, but I melt for grief to lose such a game having so fair a mark; but if I had escaped that wrest, God knows without all peradventure I had won that game, to the great comfort of England and profit of himself."

A Valentine's poem for you, written by Valentine Thomas in April 1598 with coal on the walls of his Marshalsea prison cell, and noted down in his treason record (TNA KB 8/54), about trying (and failing) to assassinate Elizabeth I [poem in next post]

True love. There's nothing better in the world. Except maybe for true love in A+ orange hose! Happy Valentines Day.