Hartley Special Collections

Black and white photograph from 1926 of Lord and Lady Mountbatten with Laddie Sanford on board Lord Mountbatten's yacht MY Shrimp. Lady Louis Mountbatten is standing with an inflatable toy in the shape of a simplified sea monster between her legs

This month's @explorearchives.bsky.social theme is #EYAMonsters. Here is a photograph from 1926 of Lord and Lady Louis Mountbatten and Laddie Sanford on Lord Mountbatten's yacht, MY Shrimp. Lady Mountbatten is holding an inflatable sea monster, possibly a shrimp like the yacht's namesake.

Congrats all students for getting through the first week of teaching in the new academic year – the Hartley Library is feeling busy again – more so than in this pic from 1936 #Freshers @uosengagement.bsky.social @unisouthampton.bsky.social

Black and white photograph of the front of the Turner-Sims (now Hartley) Library, showing the original brick entrance and with a car park immediately outside.

The Turner-Sims Library from the 1965/66 University Handbook. Housing 200,000 books and 2,300 periodicals it had seats for 820 readers. Rules included observing silence, no bottles of ink and no smoking in the main library although it was allowed in some departmental libraries!

Black and white hand drawn map showing a route round Southampton

This Freshers' Bus Tour was organised by the Transport Society in 1984.
Points of interest included Riverside Park, Peartree Church, the Itchen Bridge, the Civic Centre and Southampton Central train station #Freshers
@uosengagement.bsky.social @unisouthampton.bsky.social

Cover for the University of Southampton Programme Freshers' Conference 1963

Programme for the Freshers Conference giving activities for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Back cover of the freshers conference programme giving details about coach trips, the shop and library

The Freshers' Conference for 1963
The Monte-Russell Coffee Bar provided free coffee...
There were coach trips to the docks and demonstrations by the ballroom and 'Scottish & Old Tyme' dancing societies...
And on Saturday night the "Freshers' Hop"!

Welcome to all our new students!
And welcome back to everyone returning for a new academic year.
What do you think about the Uni's offering for freshers back in 1998? How have things changed?
#Freshers #WeAreUoS
@exploreyourarchive.bsky.social @unisouthampton.bsky.social @uosengagement.bsky.social

Photograph of students sitting on the green between Hartley Library and Building 38 in Spring 1996

The new academic year starts this week @unisouthampton.bsky.social. Welcome to all new and returning students! Here is a photo of students soaking up the sun on the green between Hartley Library and Building 38 in 1996. How much has changed in nearly 30 years? #EYAEducation

Sir David Salomons, first Baronet, MP and Lord Mayor of London, from an engraving by Charles Turner of the painting by Mary Martha Pearson [MS 187 AJ 352/1/2]. This is a black and white image of a man in mayoral robes.

#OnThisDay in 1855 David Salomons was elected as the first Jewish Lord Mayor of London
Learn more about him and the collections we hold in our blog post buff.ly/9l5u80f
Until the passing of the Religious Opinions Relief Act in 1847 he was unable to take up the post due to the oath of office.

200 years ago today the Stockton and Darlington Railway officially opened - the world’s first public railway to use steam locomotives – a Special Collections railway-themed blog will be coming down the line next month... @explorearchives

Special Collections will be hosting a pop-up event in the foyer of the Hartley Library on our Highfield campus next week - these will be from 11:00 - 11:30 Mon 29th Sep - Thu 2nd Oct - an opportunity to find out more about our Archives and Special Collections @explorearchives

The exhibition to mark the centenary of RRS Discovery opens next week, but the installation work is well underway. Today, 24 September, is the date that Discovery left Dartmouth on its inaugural voyage 100 years ago.

Letter from Lieutenant J.E. Alexander to the Duke of Wellington on 3 May 1829, informing the Duke that he had part of the tree from the Battle of Assaye made into a snuff box, and wished to present it to Wellington

#OnThisDay in 1803 Major-General Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) led the British to victory at the Battle of Assaye. Here you can see a letter to the Duke, informing him that part of the tree made famous by Wellington's victory made into a snuff box and wished to give to him #DidYouKnow

Thank you Matthew, we'll bear that in mind with our future posts 😊

September 22nd – 24th is Rosh Hashanah so we share this anthology of ‘Penitence, Prayer & Charity’ taken from the archives of Rabbi Abraham Levy @explorearchives buff.ly/axYP0h0

International Talk Like a Pirate Day - Wikipedia

Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day buff.ly/HzXlCXP , so we share this letter buff.ly/0vSij8Z written to the Duke on buried treasure at Corunna MS61/WP2/79/107 @explorearchives

Black and white photograph taken from the water showing West Gate in the centre with the slipway opposite it and buildings which back on to the quay.

Southampton’s West Quay c.1900 when it really was a quay. Postcards of the West Gate often show glimpses of water beyond it but this photograph looks back towards the West Gate and the buildings next to the slipway. @HistoricalSoton @SotonianHistory @SotonStories @SouthamptonHid1

Schonfeld Archive Project: phase one conservation highlights The Schonfeld Archive contains the papers of Rabbi Solomon Schonfeld, who was instrumental in the rescue of Jewish refugees from Europe in the 1930s and 1940s, and led the movement to advance ortho…

Ever wondered what goes on in our conservation studios? This month's blog by Assistant Conservator Andie Griffin gives details of her current project on the Schonfeld Papers

Schonfeld Archive Project: phase one conservation highlights

The Schonfeld Archive contains the papers of Rabbi Solomon Schonfeld, who was instrumental in the rescue of Jewish refugees from Europe in the 1930s and 1940s, and led the movement to advance orthodox Jewish education in the UK from 1933…

Black and white head and shoulders shot of Dr Acheson. He is balding with a grey beard. He wears glasses. He has a pale suit jacket, light shirt and patterned tie

#OnThisDay in 1926 Sir Donald Acheson was born, a physician, epidemiologist and UK Chief Medical Officer.
The Archives hold 97 boxes of his papers buff.ly/vxycvaU
He was Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and the first Dean of the Medical School at Southampton.

Resolutions of the committee of the Protestant Society for the Protection of Religious Liberty found among the papers of the first Duke of Wellington and dated November 1815 buff.ly/vBuY1Cq

Printed resolutions of the committee of the Protestant Society. Pale paper with grey-black printing

"The right of every man, in every age, and in every country, to worship God according to his conscience, as an inviolable, sacred, unalienable right, which no individuals, or governments, or legislatures can, without injustice and oppression, directly or indirectly, infringe."
#WellingtonWednesday

Photograph of IT pioneer Dame Stephanie Shirley being awarded an honorary doctorate for Science by the Chancellor, the Earl of Selborne in 2003

#OnThisDay in 1933 Dame Stephanie Shirley was born. Her pioneering decision to exclusively hire women for her software company was far ahead of her time. Here she is being awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science by the University in 2003 @unisouthampton.bsky.social #uosgraduation #DidYouKnow

Portrait of Lieutenant Basil Henriques. Sepia photograph of a young man in army uniform

“It was like hell in a rough sea made of shell holes,” so recorded Lieutenant Basil Henriques of his tank advance at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, the Somme, on 15 September 1916. It was #OnThisDay that tanks were used for the first time in an en masse attack. buff.ly/aqVJyZD

Embossed spines of books by Dante. All have gold embossed letters. Some are green. Some are a pale leather with a burgundy strip

Hands up who hears "Divine Comedy" and thinks National Express?!
Well, the *original* Divine Comedy was by Italian poet, writer and philosopher, Dante Alighieri, died #OnThisDay in 1321

Pen sketch showing outline of room with measurements and annotation of window positions and brief details of furniture

Diagram drawn by William Morgan, 26 New Street, Brompton, of the room at Walmer Castle, in which Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington, died #OnThisDay in 1852. The Duke enjoyed spending time at Walmer and ended his days there in his modest room.

White crochet item, possible tea cosy. text reads "peace 1919 victory" and image depicts a dove with an olive branch in its beak

We've described this item as a possible tea cosy. What do you think it could be?

Did you know we have quite a few crocheted items in our strongroom, many collected by knitter and historian, Montse Stanley
See our catalogue for more details buff.ly/7c2o68D
#InternationalCrochetDay

Jean Piaget was one of the most cited psychologists of the last century - we hold an original typescript of `Remarques sur l'education mathematique', a paper by Piaget from the 1972 Southampton International Congress on Mathematical Education buff.ly/KmlazyH @explorearchives #EYAEducation

A colour drawing of the hotel with new entrance at the corner of the building. Cars and groups of visitors shown in the grounds.

Southampton’s Polygon Hotel as remodelled in 1938. The new streamlined façade saw the removal of its portico, a survival from one of the 18th-century houses built as part of the original ‘out of town’ development. @HistoricalSoton @SotonianHistory @SotonStories @SouthamptonHid1

Photograph of archive boxes on metal racking in a strongroom

Last chance to book for our Behind the Scenes Heritage Open Day tour this Friday!
We have a few spaces available for the 11am and 2pm tours.
We'll have material out in the searchroom and you'll get the chance to see the strongrooms and conservation studios!
Email us to book: archives@soton.ac.uk

Typescript cover page

Typescript preface page

Typescript annotated list of places to visit

Annotated typescript of "notes on features included in the itinerary"

From 1937, the West London Synagogue's itinerary for a tour of London illustrating Anglo-Jewish history. It details "places to be visited" and "notes thereon" @parkesinstitute.bsky.social @seethetreasures.bsky.social @biajs.bsky.social