British Library blogs

About our blogs

These blogs express the thoughts and opinions of individual British Library staff members. You can subscribe to any blog by email.

Latest posts

Magical Mystery Play

10 March 2014 Medieval manuscripts

As you may have heard, the British Library has recently acquired a unique and richly decorated copy of a medieval mystery play. We're delighted to tell you that the whole is now available, in two volumes, on our Digitised Manuscripts...

Distinctive leg-of-mutton legs and fine jewels: a new display of Indian paintings in the Treasures of the British Library

08 March 2014 Asian and African studies

Regular visitors to the Sir John Ritblat Gallery: Treasures of the British Library, may have encountered our recent display of Natural History drawings from South Asia next to the entrance to the Magna Carta. From 8 March 2014, a new...

Female pipings in Eden: Ethel Smyth's fight for women's rights

08 March 2014 Music

As today is International Women’s Day, it seems a good time to mention the British Library’s newly acquired letters of Dame Ethel Smyth (1858-1944), English composer, writer and indefatigable feminist campaigner. Despite her father’s disapproval, Ethel Smyth set her heart...

The Good Woman named Bonfils

07 March 2014 Endangered archives

To mark International Women's Day we have a guest blog by Yasmine Chemali, grant holder of EAP644. The blog gives us a fascinating insight to photography of the Middle East and Lydie Bonfils - a very inspiring woman. Marie-Lydie Cabanis...