News from the Archive

We have been busy within the archives in the past couple of weeks culminating in the open day on Saturday. What a brilliant day!

In the lead up to the day we had many discussions on the amount and type of archives we should get out and how to display them. Luckily I had help from Steph and Jane. We settled on displaying the Nicholas Monsarrat Collection, including photographs and a film script from the film ‘The Cruel Sea’. We also displayed several items of memorabilia including his binoculars, typewriter, cigar case and manuscripts for several books.

Other archives on display included the passport from 1832, an early copy of Bishop Nicholas Ridley’s treatise, Miss Rich’s scrapbook of letters and autographs and our gruesome propaganda poster warning young women not to stray from the path of righteous and seemly behaviour.

One of our PEOs, John Corbett, spoke about the first Athenaeum minute book and those famous figures that were original members.

It seems the most popular item we had out for viewing was the little book entitled ‘A Topographical view of Liverpool’. This treasure was recently found and holds beautiful views of famous Liverpool Streets as they would have appeared in the early 1800s. We had it open to the page that showed the original Athenaeum building in Church Street along with St Peter’s Church and the Blue Coat school.

However, we were just a tiny part of the day’s activities. The ladies from NADFAS had a wonderful table demonstrating their techniques for the conservation of the Library’s books and explaining the tricks involved in producing natural adhesive. There were also tours around the building, talks in the Newsroom, the Librarians Joan and Vin in the committee room displaying the Library’s treasures, a Poet reciting his work, merchandise on sale and, of course, refreshments in the Dining room.

Thank you to Mr Brazendale and to the PEOs, John and Anna, for organising the event, and to everyone who helped and supported us on the day.