Discovering the landscape #3: Milner’s 'Landscape Gardening'
Written by Claire Wooldridge, Graduate Trainee Library Assistant As progress continues to integrate the library and archive of the Landscape Institute into our MERL collections, here’s a brief look at one of our favourite items: The art and practice of landscape gardening by Henry Ernest Milner (London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, And Co, 1890). Henry […]
Focus on Collections #4: Tools & Trade History Society Library
written by Tony Waldis, the Librarian of the Tools and Trades History Society (TATHS) Library, a special collection kept at MERL for use by visitors and readers. This collection reflects the encompassing knowledge of rural craft and industry kept at MERL, and which we hope to continue to pass down through our displays, outreach and events […]
Research tip #4: Confused by codes?
Confused by codes? All archives use reference codes to identify their collections, files and individual documents. These are often confusing, even for the archivists, but they are necessary to help us find things quickly and to make sure that items don’t get lost. Sometimes codes are completely meaningless, sometimes they can help to guide you […]
Picture(s) of the month #8: Eric Guy's working horses
I noticed earlier this month that the Royal Mail has just issued a Working Horses stamp set featuring “six contemporary photographs of Working Horses performing therapeutic, ceremonial, environmental, draught and police duties” They’re beautiful stamps which immediately brought to mind the stunning photographs by Eric Guy in the MERL collections. Eric Guy (1892-1966) was a commercial photographer based in Basingstoke […]
Discovering the landscape #2 (Landscape Institute project update)
We have been so busy over the last couple of months that we almost forgot to let you know what we’ve been up to! Here’s our progress in pictures… A new library room has been created to accommodate the growing MERL library. Over 500 books have been bib-checked for duplication across the University libraries, with […]
Pictures of the month #7 – Floods in Berkshire
Photographic Assistant, Caroline Benson has selected 2 particularly topical images from our collections this month… The subject of this month’s photographs will seem all too familiar to many people living by the Thames. They show the floods of November 1895 in the riverside village of Pangbourne in Berkshire. Small boats & punts can be seen […]
Pictures of the month #6 – Canal life
Photographic Assistant, Caroline Benson has resisted the temptation to select a festive image this month, instead sharing images she discovered whilst preparing materials for an education session last month… The photographs this month are from a collection depicting canals & canal life. The two I have chosen were amongst a selection used by Philippa Heath, […]
Archive inspiration in the MERL shop
Visitor Services Assistant, Judith Moon, also manages the MERL shop. In this post, Judith reveals the story behind some beautiful new products inspired by our archive collections… The shop at MERL occupies a small but important part of the reception and introductory area of the museum and the past 8 years has seen the range […]
Discovering the Landscape #1
written by Claire Wooldridge, Landscape Institute Library Officer. Since the arrival of the Landscape Institute Library and Archive a few weeks ago, I have been immersed in a new world of international architectural design, rural development, urban regeneration and land art. Initial sorting of the library materials is underway – we have received approximately 60 […]
Picture of the month #5: Artist in butter
Caroline Benson, MERL’s Photographic Assistant has come across a most fascinating craft (which, sadly, definitely isn’t one which will be on display at our Traditional Craft Fair!) We didn’t quite squeeze this particular ‘Picture of the month’ into October, but I think it’s worth the wait!! This month’s photographs are from a collection recently deposited […]