Early Printed Books – Page 33 – Research Collections at Trinity

May 2, 2012October 14, 2021

Harry Clarke: Darkness In Light

The television station Sky Arts has in the past devoted air time to programmes related to Ireland and its literary heritage, most notably Mariella Frostrup’s ‘The Book Show’ which broadcast from Kinsale Arts Week in 2011. This week the station is showing a documentary on one of our favourite artists, Harry Clarke. The documentary entitled ‘Harry Clarke: Darkness In Light’ goes out on Saturday 5th May at 2.25 a.m. and again at 9 a.m. It is repeated on Sunday 6th May at 5 a.m. For readers who do not have access to Sky, the Library shop has copies of the dvd for sale priced at €29.99.

Promotion image used by Sky Arts for the Harry Clarke documentary

April 30, 2012October 14, 2021

President Michael D. Higgins Opens Old Library Tercentenary Exhibition

Image of the the Provost, the President, and the Librarian at the opening of the Tercentenary exhibition Last Friday evening President Michael D. Higgins opened the sumptuous new exhibition in Trinity’s Old Library. The exhibition, A great many choice books: 300 years of the Old Library, was curated by Felicity O’Mahony of The Manuscripts and Archives Research Library, assisted by her colleagues in M & ARL, and Lydia Ferguson of the Department of Early Printed Books and Special Collections. The exhibition includes many absolutely stunning “treasures” of the library, both manuscript and printed.

A fuller account of the exhibition opening is available on TCD library’s main blog.

The exhibition is part of the celebrations marking the tercentenary of the laying of the foundation stone of the Old Library. Further information about these can be found on the Tercentenary website.

April 27, 2012October 14, 2021

Two special collections libraries under threat in London

Staff in the Department of Early Printed Books were concerned to learn that the Women’s Library and the Trades Union Congress Library face an uncertain future following the decision by London Metropolitan University (LMU) to seek new homes, custodians, or sponsors for them. The libraries’ collections are an important resource for researchers in the areas of social history, social justice, and of course trade union and women’s history. Image of the Women's Library

More information can be found here

A online petition to show support for the Women’s Library is available at http://bit.ly/GHY1ZP

April 26, 2012October 14, 2021

Quote of the day

“I am lately enterd into my Citadell in a disconsolate Mood, after having passd the better part of a sharp & bitter day in the Damps & mustly [sic] solitudes of the Library without either fire or any thing else to protect Me from the Injuries of the Snow that was constantly driving at the Windows & forceing it’s Entrance into that wretched Mansion, to the keeping of which I was this day sennight elect’d under an inauspiciary Planet.”

– George Berkeley, shortly after having been appointed to the office of Librarian in Trinity, as quoted by Peter Fox in his essay “They glory much in their library”, in Peter Fox (ed.), Treasures of the Library, Trinity College Dublin, (Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 1986).

April 25, 2012October 14, 2021

New exhibit for ANZAC Day in the Berkeley Library foyer

As part of our remit, the Department of Early Printed Books and Special Collections mount regular exhibits in the foyer of the Berkeley Library. Generally the single case exhibit ties in with anniversaries or local events. As today is ANZAC Day, staff member Helen Beaney has displayed the third volume of John Gould’s The mammals of Australia, shelfmark: Fag. HH.3.8.

Gould used to make rough annotated sketches which were worked up to finished images by artists, including his wife up to her death in 1841, and also Edward Lear, William Hart and Henry Constantine Richter. The production of the plates for this three-volume set was spread out over eighteen years, beginning with the Goulds’ travels in Australia in 1838-40 and with new material being sent over to Gould at frequent intervals after their return home. In his preface, Gould emphasises the opportunities to discover new species through exploration of unmapped parts of the world.

He became an authority on the birds of Europe, Asia, Australia and America as well as the mammals of Australia. The beautiful illustrations are still of scientific importance and provide great aesthetic pleasure.

Celebrated every year on April 25^th, ANZAC Day originally commemorated the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who died at Gallipoli during World War I and now recognises all New Zealand and Australian soldiers who have given their lives in military operations for their countries. So which of the images seen here did Helen choose to display? Why not pop along to the Berkeley Library and find out?