Author Archives: Library of the Society of Friends
Yearly Meeting 2019
Here in the Library, we are all recovering from a busy and productive Yearly Meeting in Friends House held over the bank holiday weekend. Yearly Meeting is the annual gathering for Quakers from around the country to come together to … Continue reading
Conscience Matters: new exhibition in Edinburgh
Last month an exciting new exhibition telling the story of World War II conscientious objectors opened at the National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle. Conscience Matters is the result of a partnership between National Museums Scotland, and a University of … Continue reading
Quaker feeding programmes in postwar Germany and Austria
For many, the celebrations at the signing of the Armistice and the end of World War I were short lived. While soldiers went home from the front, the destruction wreaked on basic infrastructure and the civilian populations became clear. Germany … Continue reading
Some Library highlights of 2018
It’s time to take stock as the old year draws to a close. It’s been a full one. We said goodbye to old colleagues and welcomed new ones. Centenaries kept us busy. The reading room got a new look. Our … Continue reading
Kristallnacht, Kindertransport, and help for refugees
Last week saw the 80th anniversary of the November Pogrom in Germany and Austria, now known as Kristallnacht. This outburst of anti-Semitic violence happened over the night of the 9th/10th of November and was a clear indication of the direction … Continue reading
Friends at the end of World War I: seeking international peace
At various points during the last four years we have marked the centenary of World War I on this blog by highlighting our collections relating to aspects of Quaker work at that time, including the relief work of the Friends … Continue reading
Caring for the past: conserving the Library’s collection of pamphlets and booklets
Lizzie Fuller, trainee conservator, writes about her work with some of our 19th and 20th century pamphlets. As a trainee Paper Conservator, I am fortunate to have opportunities to work on fascinating objects and this summer was no exception when … Continue reading
Open, healthy, scrupulously clean, with a liberal table: the Armfields and their temperance hotel
This year the Library was given a collection relating to the Armfield family who ran Armfield’s South Place Temperance Hotel near Finsbury Circus, London, during the second half of the 19th century. The collection includes a visitors’ book chronicling guests … Continue reading
Conflicting Views: Pacifist Artists – the Otter Gallery loan
Loaning material to other institutions provides an exciting opportunity to bring our collections to new audiences around the country. Special collections curator Melissa Atkinson writes about a current loan, and describes some of the objects on view. I was approached … Continue reading
Quaker Strongrooms 