One September evening in 1731 a young girl in search of water stumbled out of a forest and into the outskirts of the village of Songi, near Champagne, France. As she wandered towards the centre of the settlement the country people slammed doors and windows at the sight of her, whispering of the devil. Reluctant … Read more
We have unearthed some more strange and unusual treasures from Robert Gladstone’s collection. A large amount of parchment slips written in Latin and relating to the late 16th century found in a shoebox! What are they? Luckily I had Dr Hollinshead and Mrs P Cox to help me solve the mystery. It seems they are … Read more
Following high levels of interest in our Heritage Lottery Funded project, we are delighted to announce that we will be hosting an Open Day for members of the public on 7th May 2016. The Open Day will give members of the public a unique opportunity to view the building and its treasures through a guided … Read more
Overview The Liverpool Civic Service League was established three years prior to the First World War in response to the 1911 General Transport Strike. Headed by a Managing Committee comprised of leading members of the business and civic community, the League was described by the inaugural Chairman, Frank J. Leslie, as an “organisation of … Read more
The survey on Robert Gladstone’s collection continues and still manages to surprise us! Whilst looking through yet another card index box I found an unassuming envelope with a ‘Christ Medal’ contained within. A Christ medal was worn to show a sign of faith and ours shows Jesus on one side and Hebrew text on the … Read more
We are currently in the process of surveying the Athenaeum’s collection of archives and we have found some real treasures. Within Robert Gladstone’s collection we have found a complete series of minute books from the Liverpool Civic Service League. It seems nobody knew we had these lurking in our stacks and we think they could … Read more
Shady Goings on in the Library On the 25th of February more than ninety Proprietors and guests crowded the Athenaeum for the annual Library dinner, a black tie event that that attracts more and more people each year. After assembling in the Newsroom the guests moved upstairs to the luxurious dining room for a meal … Read more
Recently the antiquarian bookshop in the Bluecoat has had a number of early book on Liverpool in. The Library has bought two. The first is the script of a farce played at the Theatre Royal entitled ‘The Liverpool Prize’ written by the Irish actor and dramatist Frederick Pilon who lived between 1750 and 1788. The … Read more
PRESS RELEASE 27th January 2016 After winning the Heritage Lottery Fund bid, we are delighted to announce that this year, the Athenaeum Library is opening its doors to the people of Liverpool. Dating back to 1797 and home to some 800 year old literary treasures, the Athenaeum is offering a rare and valuable opportunity for … Read more
This might have been the headline in the “Sun” of 1215 and was one of the startling facts that emerged from our Magna Carta Day on 3rd December. Dr. Alan Crosby told the tale of the reign of King John and of the events which brought about that fateful meeting on Runnymede. Throughout his reign … Read more