Rylands BlogResearch

by James Peters June 27, 2025 3

Frankland Family Archive catalogued

Archivist James Peters introduces the newly catalogued Frankland family archive and introduces its fascinating main cast of characters

by Tereza Ward June 20, 2025 3

Behind the scenes Collections Guest post Photography Research

Arthur Gook and the trouble with letters

MA student Alex Tunstall shares her reflections on cataloguing the Echoes of Service correspondence files

by Tino Oudesluijs June 13, 2025 1

Collections Guest post Manuscripts Research

Far from Being in the ‘Most Useless’ Place: Linking John Rylands Coptic Manuscripts with the Coptic Community

Dr Sarah Parkhouse and Professor Peter Oakes write about their pilot project exploring the treasure trove of Coptic manuscripts at the John Rylands Library.

by Anne Anderton June 6, 2025 1

Collections Long read Manuscripts Research

Duchess, Queen, Witch – Joan of Navarre and Rylands Latin MS 22

Curator Anne Anderton writes about Joan of Navarre and her Psalter (Latin MS 22), which was recently reunited with its long-lost leaf

Crop of a page of German MS 3 A crowned figure, standing in a cosmic balance between the celestial bodies of the Sun and Moon. Bipartite limbs representing planetary influences. The right leg stands on a golden Sun, the calf is grey representing Saturn and thigh in yellow representing the Sun, signifying the solar principle. The symbol for Saturn is on the foot. The left leg stands on a crescent moon and is blue (Jupiter) with the thigh white (Moon) symbolizing lunar forces. The symbol for Jupiter on the foot. The right arm, coloured grey, holding an orb represents Mars The left arm, coloured green, represents Venus, holding a sphere with the Venusian vigil, associated with harmony and material beauty. The head is red, likely denoting the final stage of the alchemical process, the Rubedo or Red stage. Two distinct vapours emerge from the mouth: Left vapour is white with the symbol for salt above, representing purity, crystallization, and stability. Right vapour is red with the symbol for Sulphur, associated with volatility, energy, and the fiery principle. The golden crown signifies the completion of the Great Work (Magnum Opus), the transmutation of base matter into the Philosopher’s Stone. The figures navel bears the Mercury symbol, linking the figure to the trinity of Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury, the three fundamental principles in alchemy.

by jwrobinson May 23, 2025 0

Behind the scenes Collections Research

Decoding & Encoding German MS 3 – Alchemy, Imagery, and Metadata

Manager of the Rylands Heritage Imaging Lab and part-time MA Library and archives student Jamie Robinson introduces his placement creating enhanced metadata for an 18th-century mysterious alchemical manuscript in the Rylands Collections.