Rylands BlogSpecial Collections

by Tereza Ward July 4, 2025 0

Missionary Helps Postcards, 1907-1921

By Prof Jean DeBernardi (Professor Emerita of Anthropology at the University of Alberta)

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.

by Sophie Coulthard May 16, 2025 2

Behind the scenes Collection Care Collections Exhibitions

Caring for Collections: Preparing for the Rylands’ New Galleries

Go behind the scenes with Collection Care to learn how they conserved special collections for display in the newly refurbished galleries

An envelope addressed to G.V. Wigram, 9 December 1849, GVW/1/115

by Tereza Ward March 28, 2025 2

Guest post Long read Series

J.N. Darby and the curious case of the missing greatcoat

By Prof Crawford Gribben

by Tereza Ward March 3, 2025 0

Behind the scenes Collection Care Collections

The Conservation of the Grace Grattan-Guinness Photo Album

Conserving a photograph album in the recently catalogued Grace Grattan Guinness Papers

by Alessia Benedetti January 18, 2024 2

Collections

No Rylands without us – Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan

To mark the opening of the new Rylands exhibition ‘We Have Always Been Here’, poet Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan reflects on the Library archives from her position as a young Muslim woman.

by Dr Grant Collier June 26, 2023 3

Collections

‘They went out from this place and did not return’: Richard Gordon Alsop and the Adoption Graves Foundation

The story of former student Richard Gordon Alsop and the Dutch foundation who are working to keep the memory of fallen soldiers alive.

by samuelrmsimpson April 27, 2023 2

Behind the scenes Collections

Digitising Dante

Introduction to the Envisioning Dante project and its photographer, Samuel Simpson. As well as a comparison between two copies of the 1484 edition of Dante’s comedy.

by Jane Speller May 15, 2022 1

Collections

A Pacifist at War

International Conscientious Objectors’ Day is marked around the world each year on 15 May. On this day, we remember allContinue Reading

by Jane Speller March 1, 2022 3

Collections

The Remarkable Life of Grace Grattan Guinness (1877-1967)

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2022, this blog showcases the Grace Grattan Guinness archive, a small collection within the ChristianContinue Reading