Blog

Photograph of Magnus Hirschfeld, who is sitting on a sofa
Pioneering sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld

German doctor who was one of the earliest LGBTQ+ rights activists

cover of a booklet with title 'The Olympic Games and the Duke of Westminster's Appeal for £100,000'
The Duke of Westminster’s £100,000 Olympic Games appeal

Raising money for amateur athletes in the early 20th century

map of Europe showing the routes of the Orient Express
The Orient Express

'King of trains, train of kings'

Reading between the lines

Melodic notation for the public recitation of the Bible in mass

a gray stone slab on a black background with a relief sculpture of two female faces and necks pointing looking to the left, in Ancient Egyptian style
The evolution of the bas-relief

How bas-relief went from a Classical tradition to a modern aid for visually impaired people

black and white group photograph of a football team
Third Lanark Athletic Club – gone but not forgotten

History and 'glorious deeds' of a defunct Scottish football team

Busy as a bee

How Slovenia helped to create World Bee Day

Master basketweaver Nico Solimano

A chat with the artisan in his workshop

colour photograph of gardens and Myddelton House
Edward Augustus Bowles, the 'crocus king'

Horticularist, gardener and collector

Black and white picture of young girl laying on massage table elevating her legs.
Dost thou even hoist?

Gustaf Zander invented the gym as we know it

black and white photo of several parked cars, their doors open, their windows smashed and drivers' side doors riddled with bullet holes. A detective stands by to inspect the scene, while onlookers gather in the background.
The kidnapping and killing of Aldo Moro

A seminal event in Italian political history

Brankica Zilovic is wearing sneakers, black socks, wide white pants and a teal sweater and lounges casually in a chair. Behind her on the wall is an artwork made by her made up of multicoloured threads woven together into patterns.
Brankica Zilovic

In conversation with contemporary artist and professor Brankica Zilovic

colour illustration of a cricket player holding a cricket bat
Clackmannan County: a Scottish cricket club

Exploring a booklet of the club's history

Illuminated initial and a miniature of a group of knights
The Bibliophile of Bruges

Exploring the Manuscript Collection of Louis of Bruges

Intricate intrigue

The craft of jewellery-making in Byzantium

Page of a medieval manuscript
Medieval monastic book inventories

Learn about medieval book lists and how they differ from today's library catalogues

a pile of differently coloured and speckled candy eggs stretches into the background
How to make an Easter egg

Learn about the history of easter eggs and different techniques to make your own

First page of book inventory with text in Latin
Corbie Abbey and today’s font

How Corbie Abbey's medieval manuscripts connect to today's fonts

colour drawing of a room interior with fireplace, seats and tables
Eliel Saarinen, Finnish architect

Exploring treasures in the Museum of Finnish Architecture

illustration of a rose and thistle with words England -v- Scotland on a purple background
England versus Scotland, 31 March 1928

When Scotland's footballers were the Wembley Wizards