The Shell Guides: a short history
Introduction In 1933 John Betjeman, who was then working for Architectural Review magazine, came up with the idea for a series of county guides. He conceived the guides as an…
Make a Noise in Libraries (MANIL2019)
Make a Noise in Libraries official banner. Richmond upon Thames Borough Libraries will once again be participating in Make a Noise in Libraries (MANIL), organised by the Royal National Institute of Blind…
This April, why not Spring Online?
From 23 to 27 April, staff at the Information & Reference Library in Richmond will be hosting a series of workshops to help you make the most of online opportunities.…
Follow the Drum: a reflection [Part 2] – The Home Front Response
‘Let us remember Spring will come again…’ (May 1915, Charlotte Mew) The Armistice Agreement had been reached, signed and implemented at am on the 11 November 1918. Permanent security was not…
A letter to Albert Barkas, Chief Librarian
I found a letter, sent to Albert Barkas, glued into our copy of the book The Private Palaces of London. The letter was sufficiently intriguing to prompt some detective work into…
Skira, Phaidon and Thames & Hudson: 3 Art Publishers
In Richmond upon Thames Libraries we hold a wide range of books on the history of art, design and architecture. Amongst the collection there are older books held in the…
Discovering Richmond upon Thames Libraries
Did you know that here in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames we have thirteen libraries? They range from the small and cosy Kew Library to the grand Teddington…
Witches
In libraries around the world, the Dewey Decimal System is used to classify books by subject. Tucked away in the 100s (Philosophy and Psychology) is This section might be small…
When the Circus First Came to Town
In 2018 Britain is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the creation of the circus. The Beginning: In 1768, on a patch of land between Westminster Bridge and Blackfriars Road, entrepreneur…
Artists at war: Dame Laura Knight
Introduction During her lifetime Dame Laura Knight was one of the most successful and popular British artists. She was a household name but, after her death in 1970, she slowly…