What’s the most overdue library book on your bookshelf? Is it overdue by thirty days? Thirty months? Whatever the maximum extensions iDiscover allows?
Well, it’s unlikely that you’d beat one of Magdalene’s very own alumni. A few days ago, the New Library received a delivery of 4 books, overdue by 34 years! The 1992 graduand got in touch after returning to the UK and undergoing a long ‘overdue’ book sort, resulting in the discovery of 4 Magdalene Library books. Upon their diligent return this week, the inside of one of the volumes revealed that the book was actually given to the library by Prof. Eamon Duffy, this alum’s very own former Tutor, who would no doubt me bemused at the fact.
It’s such a delight to welcome these books home after a lengthy adventure, some of which are still on reading lists today!
And remember, return your books on time, if you take them on a global adventure they might return with more customs stamps than library return dates!
Happy reading and returning everyone.
To celebrate spring, here is a wonderful selection of pages from some of the Old Library’s herbals and books about gardening!
🪻Slides 1, 2, 3 and 4; First up, the title page of John Parkinson’s Paradisi in Sole Paradisus Terrestris (1629), and page 41 from the same book, showing some fritillaries (with a complementary photo of one from the magd gardens!)
🌷Slide 5: next, we have an image of a flame lily from Erasmus Darwin’s The Botanic Garden (1791).
👩🌾On slide 6: the frontispiece of Philip Miller’s Gardener’s Dictionary.
🌻Slides 7 & 8: hedgehog grass and sunflowers, from John Gerarde’s herbal (1633 edition)
Slides 9 & 10: excerpts from Stephen Switzer’s Ichnographia Rustica (1718)
🐣Slide 11: Finally, make sure to grab some of the Easter eggs in front of our nature books display! Have a lovely long weekend 💜
Who would’ve thought there’d be pancake flipping in the Magdalene archive?
In honour of Pancake Day, we’re sharing this delightful photo. It shows Horace Reed, a Magdalene kitchen porter, participating in the 1957 Cambridge pancake race. Horace, a beloved fixture of the college from 1939-1959, ran from Trinity to Magdalene while flipping a pancake and won a keg of beer! 💜
Happy LGBT+ History Month from the Magdalene library team 🏳️🌈💜
Here is our display of books, selected around this year’s theme of science and innovation. The books explore how science has affected and been changed by the LGBT+ community, and delve into the histories of LGBT+ innovators.
Feel free to borrow any of the books on display!
Happy holidays from the Magdalene Library and Archive ☃️💜
To get you in the festive spirit, here are some stories and illustrations from the “Cloverleaf” magazine - a wonderful part of the Turner collection in the Magdalene archives. The magazines were made by young members of the Turner family in the early 1900s, and several issues contain festive tales such as “My Christmas Dream” and “Our Christmas Party”.
Have a brilliant holiday 🎄🎉
That’s a wrap! 🎁🎄 The festive mystery books have been delivered by Peeps and the library elves, and you can now collect your book from your pidge. Thanks for participating - happy holidays and happy reading 💜⛄️
Until Wednesday 26 November, the Library staff will be picking out books for anyone who fills out the form, and deliver it to your pigeon hole!
Both staff and students of Magdalene College are encouraged to take part!
To commemorate Armistice Day, we are sharing this Magdalene College photo album, which contains photos from the early 1900s up to the 1940s. The first section of the album is dedicated to Magdalene College members who fought during the First World War; we can see portraits of those who served in the army, as well as annotated biographical information. A photo of uniformed college residents in 1917 is pasted on the first page. The album represents a thoughtful act of remembrance in the College archives.
