Fire and flood: the saga of Richmond Lending Library
As those who use it know, Richmond Lending Library is currently closed for repairs. All of our library buildings need upkeep, and buildings sometimes close for longer to allow for…
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…
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…
The Royal Air Force -100 years in the air
Badge of the Royal Air Force, granted by the College of Arms in 1923. 1 April 2018 represents the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Royal Air Force, the…
Pevsner: the Man and His Eponymous Architectural Guides
Nikolaus Pevsner was an academic and writer. He was born in Leipzig in 1902 to Russian-Jewish parents who had moved to Germany at some point before 1900. His parents took German…
Artists at War: Eric Ravilious
On the 75th anniversary of his death we take a look at Eric Ravilious's work as a war artist. Eric Ravilious* was born in Acton in 1908 and the family later…
London: the city as a phoenix [Part 2] – the Blitz and St. Paul’s
The Great Fire of London, which destroyed and devastated four-fifths of the city, began on 5th September 1666. 274 years and 2 days later, on 7th September 1940, the city…
Follow the Drum: Bernard Freyberg VC
Now, God be thanked Who has matched us with His hour… Peace by Rupert Brooke, 1914) Patricia Moloney, Heritage Assistant, considers the life of Bernard Freyberg, renowned military leader who counted…
Christmas presents from the Colonies
For many years after the Second World War, food remained in short supply. Many organisations and individuals from former colonies chose to send food parcels to Britain, to show solidarity…
Planning an Invasion: Bushy Park’s D-Day contribution
Felix Lancashire, Archivist at Richmond Local Studies Library & Archive, relates the story of Camp Griffiss, Bushy Park, and its role in the planning of the D-Day landings in 1944. 71…