In our latest blog post, Angela Petyt-Whittaker talks about her experience in cataloguing the fascinating (and the world’s largest!) collection of circuit plans up to 1933, held at the Methodist Archives and Research Centre (MARC) at the John Rylands: ow.ly/lokP50VyMtb.

New blog alert! 🔔 As we look back on last year's exhibition ‘Chetham’s Librarians: Lives and Legacies’, one discovery continues to inspire us - the diaries of Librarian Hilda Lofthouse and her assistant Pauline Leech. 👉 Read more in our latest blog! tinyurl.com/4zvtfknx

Celebrating our brilliant placement students here at Special Collections, we wish to draw your attention to their fascinating stories on various subjects from the past 7 months, from depictions of Mount Fuji to the Order of the Golden Fleece: medium.com/special-collec…

📕📗It's a new chapter for one of Manchester's most loved libraries. John Rylands is opening a new gallery on the 15th of May, showcasing some of its world-class collection of books and artefacts. ilovemanchester.com/john-rylands-c…

📚✨ One of Manchester’s most breathtaking buildings just got even better. From 15 May 2025, John Rylands Research Institute and Library unveils two major exhibitions that celebrate 125 years of cultural legacy in the heart of the city. 🔍 Explore the brand-new Collections Gallery — featuring rare

On #NationalNumeracyDay here's founder Enriqueta Rylands’ account book with J Arnold Green. It shows the purchase and binding of books including a sum of £420 for the Tregaskis binding collection. You can see two of these bindings on display in the new Collections Gallery.

Do join us online or in-person on Tuesday 3 June at 5.30pm BST. Elizabeth Gow will be discussing ‘From Wiclif to the present time’: exhibiting English Bibles at the John Rylands Library, 1899-1911. Book: bit.ly/ExhibitingEngl… Dr Elizabeth Gow The Warburg Institute. Image luna.manchester.ac.uk/luna/servlet/d…

Exhibitions were core to Enriqueta Rylands’s vision for the Rylands. Join this seminar introducing the early history of exhibitions at the library – especially exhibitions of English Bibles. Tuesday 3 June, 5.30pm. Online.

The Bulletin of the John Rylands Library was founded in 1903. Today it's published by Manchester University Press From the Spring 2025 issue (published in July), it will be Open Access and available for free to read. Find the Bulletin of the John Rylands Library on manchesterhive.com.

There are a handful of tickets left for this fabulous event celebrating the arrival of the Harold Evans Papers in Manchester Brian Groom eventbrite.co.uk/e/murder-in-ca….

Our Early Photography collection shows real fashions of the Victorian era. This book of early photographs dates all the way back to 1857. It features a view of Sydney and portraits of individuals - Charles Bolton, bottom right, and two unnamed women. digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk/view/AR-JA-000…

This illustration is from the author's copy of ‘A History of the Birds of Europe’ by Henry Dresser. The books provide a snapshot of 19th-century bird life, illustrated by some of the leading wildlife artists. From Saturday 28 June you can see them at Manchester Museum.

This landmark work was at risk of leaving the UK after being sold but we worked with the Museum to acquire the anthology, bringing it to Manchester. It's reunited with Dresser's bird specimens and his personal correspondence, which were already held by the two venues.

Initial 'I'(nitium) at the beginning of Mark's Gospel, depicting St John the Baptist #StJohntheBaptist The John Rylands Library, Latin MS 11; the 'Dinant Gospels'; middle of the 12th century; Flanders; f.59r John Rylands Research Institute and Library

The Frankland Family Archive is one of our most important science-related collections, and its catalogue is now available for the first time! In our latest blog, curator James Peters introduces the archive and talks about its main cast of characters: ow.ly/75zm50WhuqP

Thursday! Join us John Rylands Research Institute and Library! This will be my first talk in the UK in quite a few years! #GreatGissingRevival

#OTD in 1928 the Equal Franchise Act was passed finally giving women the same voting rights as men. This mechanical card (c1912) shows a Suffragette and policeman with facial expressions that change as the wheel is turned. The Suffragettes campaigned for votes for women.

A wonderful article on John Rylands Research Institute and Library manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-m…

The beauty and artistry of the Tregaskis Collection is breathtaking, here are a few examples which can all be viewed on Luna. In order of appearance: R183558.52 (Madras) R183558.17 (London) R183558.15 (London) R183558.51 (Delhi)

We are delighted to announce the first batch of the new Early European Print collection, now freely available to explore online on Manchester Digital Collections! Read all about the collection and some of its highlights in our latest blog post: ow.ly/g1MH50WxSmH