‪ Tomorrow at 4.00 pm! Our RIC Fellow, Pia Russell (U of Victoria, BC), discusses her use of the IOE Library's #SpecColl in ‘Teaching Britishness in Canada: A Historical Analysis of Schoolbooks at the Heart and Edge of Empire’. Join: bit.ly/4owbQSo @uclspeccoll.bsky.social #textbookresearch #HistEd

UCL Research Institute for Collections Fellow's Talk

‘Teaching Britishness in Canada: A historical analysis of schoolbooks at the heart and edge of empire’

eventbrite.co.uk

Richard Blair, son of author Eric Blair, better known as George Orwell, has been a committed guardian of Orwell’s public legacy, working with @uclspeccoll.bsky.social to preserve and promote his father’s collection. Read more here: www.ucl.ac.uk/about/search... #UCL200 #FacesOfUCL

”Either we all live in a decent world, or nobody does.” George Orwell, English novelist, journalist, critic, born 1903; author of Animal Farm (1945), Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). BBC Archive | UCL Special Collections @uclspeccoll.bsky.social

We visited this excellent exhibition at UCL - but my favourite from the anti tarot deck will always be this guy

UCL Special Collections@uclspeccoll.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to our Open Morning on Magic and Western Esotericism! Some magical items from last week’s Open Morning! 🪄🔮 Tarot Cards created by Bill Griffiths (1973). Poetry Speci Quartos PIR:B5

Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to our Open Morning on Magic and Western Esotericism! Some magical items from last week’s Open Morning! 🪄🔮 Tarot Cards created by Bill Griffiths (1973). Poetry Speci Quartos PIR:B5

Visit today to @uclartmuseum.bsky.social for their new exhibition running until July 2027. In association with the Survey of London, it presents a history of the Wilkins Building, told in prints, photos and drawings. Includes photos from our College Archive. Open Wednesdays, 1pm to 5pm.

I got a chance to both see and handle some of the arcane tomes and magical objects in University College London's Special Collections. How exciting! I've blogged with the details. www.badwitch.co.uk/2026/05/occu... @uclspeccoll.bsky.social

Occult London: Peeking into a Magical Special Collection

I got a chance to both see and handle some of the arcane tomes and magical objects in University College London's Special Collections. How e...

badwitch.co.uk

London students/collectors! Just under two weeks left to apply

UCL Special Collections@uclspeccoll.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Are you a student in London with a collection of printed or handwritten materials you’re proud of? Apply for the Anthony Davis Book Collecting Prize by 25 May for a chance to win £600! Photo: stamp album covers from Penny James’ collection, 2025’s runner up. www.ucl.ac.uk/library/coll...

Join us for a workshop exploring collective memory through discussions with artist Simon Farid, collection display and a creative activity reflecting your feelings on UCL as part of the UCL200 celebrations. All are welcome! Book now on tinyurl.com/uclscmemory

A few places left for this popular Wikidata workshop! If you’re a UCL student or staff member curious about Wikidata, join us at Bloomsbury on 7 May to learn what it is and edit your first pieces of data using Congolese items from the university’s Ethnography Collections.

Are you a student in London with a collection of printed or handwritten materials you’re proud of? Apply for the Anthony Davis Book Collecting Prize by 25 May for a chance to win £600! Photo: stamp album covers from Penny James’ collection, 2025’s runner up. www.ucl.ac.uk/library/coll...

@uclspeccoll.bsky.social next Bloomsbury Open Morning on magic and western esotericism features items from The Folklore Society Library and Archives! Fri 15 May at UCL Bloomsbury: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ucl-special-collections-open-morning-magic-and-western-esotericism-tickets-1986427018686

UCL Special Collections Open Morning: Magic and Western Esotericism

Join us at our next Open Morning, where we will showcase items related to the history of magic and western esotericism.

eventbrite.co.uk

Today, our library collection is made up of two million print books alone. Sarah Pipkin, Outreach and Exhibitions Coordinator for @uclspeccoll.bsky.social, discusses her work to shine a light on 200 years of collecting at @ucl.ac.uk. www.ucl.ac.uk/library/news...

We are excited to learn that this film by @royalsociety.org, featuring the Kathleen Lonsdale archives in @uclspeccoll.bsky.social, was recently nominated for a Webby Award by the Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Watch the video here:

The ethical science of Kathleen Lonsdale | The Royal Society

YouTube video by The Royal Society

youtube.com

Jewish calendars from Berlin: a blog post from @uclspeccoll.bsky.social Jewish Collections Project Cataloguer Ben Whittle blogs.ucl.ac.uk/special-coll...

If you'd like to learn more about our new exhibition, you can read an interivew with our Outreach and Exhibitions Coordinator about the process of putting the exhibition together and some of the items on display! Link is: www.ucl.ac.uk/library/news...

Interview: Innovative collecting at UCL

Sarah Pipkin, Outreach and Exhibitions Coordinator for UCL Special Collections, discusses her work to shine a light on 200 years of collecting at UCL.

ucl.ac.uk

UCL Special Collections@uclspeccoll.bsky.social · 4mo ago

UCL Library Services’ new public exhibition “On the Shelf: 200 years of building UCL’s Library collections” is now open in the Main Library. It explores the history of 8 of our library collections and tells the stories of the staff that developed them. More info: www.ucl.ac.uk/library/coll...

UCL Library Services’ new public exhibition “On the Shelf: 200 years of building UCL’s Library collections” is now open in the Main Library. It explores the history of 8 of our library collections and tells the stories of the staff that developed them. More info: www.ucl.ac.uk/library/coll...

A few more days to apply to be our next Small Press in Residence! Outstanding collections, collaborations with us, @sladeschoolucl.bsky.social & @uclpublishing.bsky.social + £5,000 to spend flexibly! #smallpress #libraries #archives #artistresidency #artistinresidence #funding #specialcollections

What’s so Special about UCL Special Collections? is back at UCL East! Join us on 24 Mar to explore a selection of rare books and archives, meet members of our team, and discover the stories behind these fascinating materials at this relaxed, free event. Book now on tinyurl.com/uclopenmorning.

Call for applications! We are looking for a small press to take up a temporary residency at UCL! £5,000 to spend flexibly, an opportunity to work with outstanding collections & collaborate with brilliant students and staff! blogs.ucl.ac.uk/special-coll...

Here's my new blog post about Jewish dance cards and a recent UCL bicentennial event where we learned Edwardian ballroom dances from a Jewish dance card in @uclhjslibrary.bsky.social to the same tunes that were performed in 1909. #UCL200 In partnership with @uclhjs.bsky.social and the UCL IJS.

UCL Special Collections@uclspeccoll.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Recently we hosted an event celebrating the rich world of Jewish dancing cards round 1900. If you'd like to read more about Jewish dancing cards in our collection, Dr Sonia Gollance has written about their history blogs.ucl.ac.uk/special-coll...

Recently we hosted an event celebrating the rich world of Jewish dancing cards round 1900. If you'd like to read more about Jewish dancing cards in our collection, Dr Sonia Gollance has written about their history blogs.ucl.ac.uk/special-coll...

Fresh from The Survey of London and @uclpress.bsky.social - This beautiful monograph of University College London: The Bloomsbury Campus. A rich history of UCL's main campus. #ucl200

This term we have launched Books and Book History at UCL Special Collections, a new MA module collaboratively designed and delivered by us and @uclhistory.bsky.social. This thread is the first in the series of student-produced posts highlighting our book history adventures! Post: Sabrina Wiggins

One month to go… UCL turns 200! 🎉 On 11 February, we kick off #UCL200 – a year of celebrations marking our radical founding in 1826 as London’s first university, open to all. Expect parties, exhibitions, student festivals, art, books, performances, and more. Get ready! @uclspeccoll.bsky.social

UCL Special Collections will be closed from 5pm on Tuesday 23rd December until Monday 5th January. Wishing you all a very happy holiday!

Current Special Collections Visiting Fellow Michelle Reynolds (@lovelymydear.bsky.social) is researching the role of Laurence Housman (1865-1959) in the women's suffrage movement.

Head of UCL Special Collections, Sarah Aitchison, @saraha73.bsky.social, reflects on the digital 'Prejudice in Power' exhibition. The visuals and eye‑catching quotations have drawn passersby to pause, reflect, and engage with UCLs eugenic history. blogs.ucl.ac.uk/special-coll... #eugenics

Current Visiting Fellow Andrew Whiteman (Musician @ Broken Social Scene, Creative Director @ Siren Recordings & PhD student @ Concordia) discusses his project focusing on rare AV material in our Small Press Collections. The piece he's composing in response will be premiered at UCL this summer