• Amazing Archives
  • Explore items
    • 17th Century Map
    • 17th Century Recipe Book
    • 19th Century Map of Northumberland
    • A Curious Herbal
    • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
    • Bewick Animal Sketches
    • Charles Dickens' Dombey and Son
    • Cholera Scrapbook
    • Early Hot Air Balloon
    • Ethel Williams' Suffrage Banner
    • First Northern General Hospital
    • First World War Matchboxes
    • Gertrude Bell Photograph
    • Great Fire of Gateshead
    • Joseph Swan’s Medals
    • Kate Greenaway Almanack
    • Lucozade
    • Malby's World Atlas
    • Martin Luther King Photographs
    • Medieval Breviary
    • Miner’s Candlebox Engraving
    • Murderer's socks?
    • Napoleon’s Flag
    • Old Aunt Elspa's ABC
    • Stephenson's Safety Lamp
    • The Ship that Sailed to Mars
    • Trevelyan Photograph Albums
    • Tudor Document with Seal
    • Vesalius' 'The Fabric of the Human Body'
    • Victorian Autograph Book
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    Amazing Archives

    Find out about some of the amazing items in Newcastle University Library's Archives and Special Collections. Click on an object below to begin.

    Murderer's socks?

    Murderer's socks?

    Find out the gruesome story behind this innocent looking pair of socks!

    History

    Murderer's socks?
    Cholera Scrapbook

    Cholera Scrapbook

    Find out all about the devastating outbreak of cholera that took place in Gateshead in the 1830s

    HistoryScience

    Cholera Scrapbook
    Vesalius' 'The Fabric of the Human Body'

    Vesalius' 'The Fabric of the Human Body'

    Learn about this important book on human anatomy

    HistoryScience

    Vesalius' 'The Fabric of the Human Body'
    A Curious Herbal

    A Curious Herbal

    Find out about the science of plants and the story behind this 'curious' herbal

    ArtHistoryScience

    A Curious Herbal
    Lucozade

    Lucozade

    Discover the history of one of Britain's favourite energy drinks

    HistoryScience

    Lucozade
    The Ship that Sailed to Mars

    The Ship that Sailed to Mars

    Go on an adventure to Mars with the help of elves and fairies!

    ArtEnglishHistory

    The Ship that Sailed to Mars
    Ethel Williams' Suffrage Banner

    Ethel Williams' Suffrage Banner

    Learn more about the suffragist who used this banner in suffrage processions along Northumberland Street

    ArtHistory

    Ethel Williams' Suffrage Banner
    Trevelyan Photograph Albums

    Trevelyan Photograph Albums

    Discover the Trevelyans of Northumberland and why they were such an important family

    History

    Trevelyan Photograph Albums
    First Northern General Hospital

    First Northern General Hospital

    Get an insight into the treatment of injured soldiers with these postcards

    History

    First Northern General Hospital
    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

    Find out more about the story of Alice in Wonderland and its creator, Lewis Carroll

    ArtEnglishHistory

    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
    Malby's World Atlas

    Malby's World Atlas

    Find out what these highly decorated illustrations were used for

    HistoryScience

    Malby's World Atlas
    Gertrude Bell Photograph

    Gertrude Bell Photograph

    Find out more about a woman who was a scholar, traveller, political officer, archaeologist and photographer

    History

    Gertrude Bell Photograph
    Old Aunt Elspa's ABC

    Old Aunt Elspa's ABC

    Find out about the man who helped his daughter learn to read by designing a book

    ArtEnglishHistory

    Old Aunt Elspa's ABC
    Medieval Breviary

    Medieval Breviary

    Learn about this beautifully illustrated Roman Catholic prayer book which dates from the Middle Ages

    ArtHistory

    Medieval Breviary
    Tudor Document with Seal

    Tudor Document with Seal

    Find out how communication in the Early Modern period differed from current methods with this interesting document.

    History

    Tudor Document with Seal
    Napoleon’s Flag

    Napoleon’s Flag

    Discover the significance of the flag that these fabrics were once a part of

    History

    Napoleon’s Flag
    Stephenson's Safety Lamp

    Stephenson's Safety Lamp

    Learn about the famous engineer and how he kept local miners safe in the 19th century

    HistoryScience

    Stephenson's Safety Lamp
    19th Century Map of Northumberland

    19th Century Map of Northumberland

    Learn more about this map and the differences between the past and present county of Northumberland

    GeographyHistory

    19th Century Map of Northumberland
    Martin Luther King Photographs

    Martin Luther King Photographs

    Learn all about the famous civil rights leader and his visit to Newcastle in 1967

    History

    Martin Luther King Photographs
    Charles Dickens' Dombey and Son

    Charles Dickens' Dombey and Son

    Learn about this unknown Charles Dickens novel and what makes it so unique

    EnglishHistory

    Charles Dickens' Dombey and Son
    Victorian Autograph Book

    Victorian Autograph Book

    Find out why people in the past collected autographs from famous people

    History

    Victorian Autograph Book
    Joseph Swan’s Medals

    Joseph Swan’s Medals

    Learn about the real inventor of the first light bulb who was awarded these special items

    HistoryScience

    Joseph Swan’s Medals
    Kate Greenaway Almanack

    Kate Greenaway Almanack

    Find out more about a children's book illustrator who created beautifully illustrated calendars.

    ArtHistory

    Kate Greenaway Almanack
    17th Century Map

    17th Century Map

    Understand the importance of this very special 17th century roadmap

    GeographyHistory

    17th Century Map
    Miner’s Candlebox Engraving

    Miner’s Candlebox Engraving

    Learn about the disastrous story behind this very candlebox

    History

    Miner’s Candlebox Engraving
    First World War Matchboxes

    First World War Matchboxes

    Find out about the owner of this match box, a young man from North Shields who served in the First War

    History

    First World War Matchboxes
    17th Century Recipe Book

    17th Century Recipe Book

    Be intrigued by this 300 year old recipe book that gives an insight into food of the 16th century

    Food TechnologyHistory

    17th Century Recipe Book
    Great Fire of Gateshead

    Great Fire of Gateshead

    Find out about a tragic event nearby that you may never have heard of

    ArtHistory

    Great Fire of Gateshead
    Early Hot Air Balloon

    Early Hot Air Balloon

    Find out about the incredible history behind these hot air balloons

    ArtHistoryScience

    Early Hot Air Balloon
    Bewick Animal Sketches

    Bewick Animal Sketches

    Find out about the man who created these images using wood blocks in the 18th century

    ArtHistory

    Bewick Animal Sketches
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