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Today is Pentecost. This beautiful image is taken from a 15th century 'Honresfield Book of Hours', depicting the Virgin and Apostles sitting beneath a dove.

[MS5204 f. 90v]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #Manuscript #Pentecost
June 8, 2025 at 10:13 AM
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Booking is now open for our first 'Unfolding Time' exhibition lecture:

Megan McNamee, 'Light and Labour in Late Medieval Concertina-Fold Almanacs'

🕓 5.30pm, 19 February

For booking info, see www.lambethpalacelibrary.info/events

#UnfoldingTime #LambethPalaceLibrary
[Image: Copenhagen, Kongelige Bibliotek, NKS 901]
January 24, 2025 at 8:29 AM
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Here is a 16th-century woodcut illustrating the month of July, from Thys Prymer of Salysbury Use (Salisbury Primer).

[1534.46, f. 1c1]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #Woodcut #July #EarlyPrintedBook #RareBooks
July 23, 2026 at 1:28 PM
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This flyleaf comes with real flies!

This early 18th century book has four flies preserved between the paste-down and the flyleaf.

We wonder how they got there!

[Sion A61.4/Ex1]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #RareBooks #Flyleaf #SionCollege
October 17, 2025 at 10:00 AM
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For #FolkloreThursday here's the legendary King Arthur defeating an armoured giant depicted in the 15th century Chronicle of St Albans.

[LPL MS6, f56v]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #KingArthur #Manuscript
October 2, 2025 at 1:19 PM
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Did you see us in Lucy Worsley Investigates, Episode 3 '1066'?

This manuscript shows Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, showing leniency towards women who have fled to a nunnery to take refuge from the Normans.

#LambethPalaceLibrary #Archives #Normans
[MS 363 f.111r]
February 10, 2025 at 3:41 PM
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Today, we proudly opened our exhibition, Sing Joyfully: Exploring Music in Lambeth Palace Library, to the public! 🎉

👉 Learn more on our Sing Joyfully homepage: www.lambethpalacelibrary.info/sing-joyfully/

#SingJoyfully #LambethPalaceLibrary
Image of exhibition case and contents for the 'Sing Joyfully' exhibition.
July 31, 2025 at 12:52 PM
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Today is #AscensionDay, when Christ rose to Heaven. In this 1525 woodcut, from Nicholas Love's 'Meditationes vitae Christi', he leaves behind his footprints as he ascends.

[[ZZ]1525.1]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #Woodcut #Archives
Image of the Ascension of Jesus, leaving behind his footprints.
May 29, 2025 at 8:01 AM
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"Memento homo quod cinis es, et in cinerem reverteris"

("Remember, man, that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return").

Rubric for imposition of ashes during mass on Ash Wednesday from the 15th century Broughton Missal.

[MS 5066, f.35r.]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #AshWednesday
February 18, 2026 at 10:18 AM
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At Lambeth Palace Library we are celebrating National Corduroy Day in style!

Why today? It’s the date that most closely resembles the corded pattern, 11/11.

#CorduroyDay #LambethPalaceLibrary
November 11, 2025 at 2:10 PM
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The 20th March is World Frog Day!

In an ongoing project, our librarians have rediscovered numerous books printed by the Zurich-based printer Christoph Froschauer (d. 1564). (‘Frosch’ is the German word for frog.)

Here are a few examples we’ve found so far!

#WorldFrogDay #LambethPalaceLibrary
March 20, 2025 at 3:30 PM
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Created c.1150 -1200, this manuscript from one of our Greek
Gospel Lectionaries features some lovely borders, known as
pylai, around the headings for the first lection of weeks
for Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

[Sion L40.2/G1 f117]

#EarlyGreekManuscript
#SionCollege #LambethPalaceLibrary
Image of a page from one of our Greek Gospel Lectionaries, showing a colourful border and Greek writing.
June 4, 2025 at 10:01 AM
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Today we remember George Herbert (1593-1633), a poet and priest of the Church of England. ‘The Temple’ is a book of poems written by Herbert. His poems explore religion and spirituality, and make interesting use of the book as a form.

#LambethPalaceLibrary #EasterWings #PrintedBooks
Title page of 'The Temple'. [K24.4/H41] 'Easter Wings'. [K24.4/H41]
February 27, 2025 at 11:43 AM
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The noted astronomer Tycho Brahe died #OnThisDay in 1601.

Here is a biography of Brahe by another astronomer and philosopher, Pierre Gassendi, who also died #OnThisDay in 1655.

[VB41 1.01]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #History #Manuscript #Brahe
October 24, 2025 at 9:35 AM
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It’s #ShroveTuesday, also known as #PancakeDay! Whether it’s 1635 or 2025, eating pancakes is the tastiest way to prepare for #Lent 😋 Etching of a pancake seller, by Rembrandt.

[Prints 050]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #History #Rembrandt #Prints
Prints/050 Rembrandt
March 4, 2025 at 3:26 PM
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The noted philosopher and statesman Francis
Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban, died #OnThisDay in 1626. This 1620 presentation copy of his 'Novum organum
scientiarum' is bound in vellum with his boar stamp.

#LambethPalaceLibrary #Archives #FrancisBacon
#History
An image of a binding from [ZZ]1620.45 with a boar stamp.
April 9, 2025 at 2:27 PM
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This lecture is available both in person and online! For
more information on how to book a ticket, follow this
link:
www.lambethpalacelibrary.info/event/seb-fa...
oons-miracles-and-magic-whats-in-a-medieval-calendar
/
#LambethPalaceLibrary #UnfoldingTime #Lecture
#Archives
April 14, 2025 at 10:44 AM
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Today is the start of a new month! In the medieval calendar, hawking is the labour of the month for May. This decorated roundel appears in the calendar of the 14th century Vaux Psalter.

[MS233 f.5v.]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #Archives #Manuscript #History
Circle image of a man riding a horse with a hawk on his arm. MS 233 f.5v.
May 1, 2025 at 8:51 AM
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Today is the Feast of Thomas the Apostle. He is said to have sailed to India to spread the Christian faith and died there. This woodcut of Thomas is from the 16th century Legenda Aurea.

[[ZZ]1527.1]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #Woodcut #Prints
Thomas the Apostle [ZZ]1527.1
July 3, 2025 at 12:29 PM
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A very unusual item in the reading room this week!

This image shows a beautiful piece of memento mori: a lock of hair, and a plaited swatch of hair, from Henrietta Howard (1689-1767), wife of Charles Howard, 9th Earl of Suffolk, and mistress of George II.

#LambethPalaceLibrary #Archives #History
Image of a lock of hair mounted in the cover of MS 1329.
April 7, 2025 at 9:37 AM
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⛄️The countdown to Christmas has officially begun! ⛄️

🎄Last week, our staff had a wonderful time decorating the Christmas Tree to get us in the festive mood!🎄

#CountdownToChristmas #LambethPalaceLibrary
December 1, 2025 at 2:21 PM
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Today the Church of England remembers Jerome (d. 420), translator of the Scriptures, and teacher of the Faith. Here we see Jerome at his writing desk in a detail from a late 13th century Bible.

[MS89 f.1r]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #Archives #Manuscript
September 30, 2025 at 9:56 AM
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📣 New acquisition! 📣

Seal matrix of Matthew Hutton, Archbishop of Canterbury for just one year, 1757-58.

An unusual survival - archbishops’ seals were often recycled into the seal for the next incumbent.

[L-2025-4]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #Acquisition
Seal matrix of Matthew Hutton. Seal in wax and matrix in silver [L-2025-4]
September 11, 2025 at 9:01 AM
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Today is the feast of Gregory the Great,
Bishop of Rome, teacher of the Faith, d. 604. This hand
coloured woodcut depicts the Mass of St. Gregory. It is
from Horae ad usum Rothmagensem (Paris, 1498).

[ZZ1488.5]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #Archives #History
Woodcut of Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, kneeling. [ZZ1488.5]
September 3, 2025 at 9:28 AM
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Today is the feast of Columba, Abbot of Iona and Missionary, who died #OnThisDay in 597. This portrait of Columba is from Thomas Messingham's 'Florilegium insulae sanctorum', 1624.

[A87.3/IR2M]

#LambethPalaceLibrary #History #Archives
Portrait of Columba, holding a hook.
June 9, 2025 at 11:20 AM