Hartley Special Collections

@hartleyspecialc

southampton.ac.uk/archives Based in the University of Southampton Hartley Library. With around 7 million manuscript items and 50,000 printed books, the Special Collections provide a resource of remarkable richness and depth.

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Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· 23d

Guess what? Due to the popularity of our digital appointments service, from Tuesday 4th August we will be offering extra appointments from 14:15-15:15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Happy days! @harchivestrust.bsky.social @archivesportal.bsky.social @hampshireuk.bsky.social

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· 24d

"Rumour assigns your grace some eminence as a chess player..." writes George Walker, Hon Secretary of Westminster Chess Club to the Duke of Wellington in 1836. The book he refers to in his letter is probably "Chess Studies" published in London in 1844. buff.ly/tmWA0JU #Chess #InternationalChessDay

Handwritten letter addressed to the Duke of Wellington. It is brown black ink on pale paper.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· 24d

"Their leisure has been filled to overflowing by engaging in a fascinating mental recreation..." #InternationalChessDay #Chess Notes regarding the formation of a Chess Club at the Norwood Jewish Orphanage in 1932 buff.ly/QxMKOQM

Page of typescript headed Jewish Orphanage. Chess Club. Report of 1st session September 1932-April 1933. Formation of Club Sept 1932.
. Pale creamy yellow paper. You can see the pages have previously been fastened with a pin in the corner.

Page of typescript headed "General Results". Pale creamy yellow paper.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· 24d

#DidYouKnow that a skeleton used to attend @unisouthampton #graduation?! The skeleton, later named, Kelly, first purchased by the Art department, became a macabre mascot for the students, often attending events in the early 20th century Find out more here buff.ly/EV7uOYH #WeAreUoS

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· 24d

This week we're sharing the insights of our work experience placement, who looked through images from our University collection... @explore archives

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· 27d

The Festival of British Archaeology 2026 #FestivalOfArchaeology starts tomorrow (18 July) - one of our core collecting areas as an archive is maritime archaeology - the Honor Frost Archive buff.ly/WZzEFh8 has generated a huge amount of research in recent years

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· 28d

These graduands from the 1950s or 60s are looking a little windswept! Did anyone loose their mortarboard, we wonder? @unisouthampton #graduation #Congratulations #WeAreUoS

Graduating students in academic robes and mortarboards lined up on a street, smiling and chatting. Sepia tones. It appears to be windy as their gowns are catching in the breeze and some are holing their mortarboards

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· 28d

Graduation 2006 was reported as one of the hottest, with temperatures of 30 degrees. Ben Helfgott, Holocaust survivor and Olympic Games competitor, whose papers are now in the Archives and Bernard Naylor, University Librarian, 1977-2000 were amongst those awarded honorary degrees.

Colour head and shoulders photograph of Ben Helfgott receiving is degree from the Chancellor.

Colour head and shoulders photograph of mirror image of Bernard Naylor in his doctoral robes.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· 29d

@unisouthampton Summer #Graduation starts today. We'd like to send our very best wishes to all those students graduating. The photograph shows Southampton students in July 1964. #WeAreUoS Image copyright Southern Newspapers

Black and white photograph of a graduation ceremony. There are graduands in their robes on the left of the image. Family and friends are stood to the right. University officials are processing down the middle

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jul 14

Psst! Did you know that Heritage Open Days are now only two months away? We have got some exciting events in store for you, including tours and a talk about searching for apple heritage varieties in Southampton! Find out more here: www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-e...

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jul 11

#OnThisDay in 1848 London Waterloo train station opened. Here is an image of Waterloo Station from 1980 hosting a ceremony to name locomotives in Lord Mountbatten's honour. buff.ly/MZnASip

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jul 9

The album 'Excursion from Southsea to Carisbrooke by Four Maidens' records an 1885-day trip to the Isle of Wight in picture and verse. Waiting for the paddle steamer at the pier, they are setting out ‘all full of glee at such a spree’.

Watercolour showing part of the pier at Southsea, with a paddle steamer alongside, the four women dressed in black, looking over the railings.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jul 6

The #NHS was 78 yesterday! Working in collaboration with the NHS, the Faculty of Medicine has trained thousands of doctors and scientists and we are ranked 3rd in the UK for Nursing, and 1st for Physiotherapy and Midwifery buff.ly/fAEMP6l @mededsoton.bsky.social #WeAreUoS @unisouthampton.bsky.social

Aerial view of Southampton General Hospital, 1996. This is a colour photograph showing the hospital surrounded by houses

Planting a tree in honour of the first nursing graduates, October 1986. Five people are stood around a tree. One is holding a spade

Timetable from the Hartley University College Southampton Prospectus of day classes suitable for medical and dental students, session 1905-1905. The paper is cream coloured and it has black text printed on it.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jul 3

A view of the front of the Hartley Institution on Southampton's High Street c.1914 #EYAArchitecture - the architect was a Mr de Ville @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social buff.ly/pWMuqX6

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jul 2

#OnThisDay in 1928, the Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act, was passed, lowering the voting age for women from 30 to 21 and giving them electoral equality with men for the first time.

Text from Section 1 of the Act, stating that a person shall be entitled to register as a parliamentary elector if he or she is of full age.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jul 1

Discovered in the papers of the Polish Jewish Refugee Fund, some "foot drawings" and measurements for shoes request by Mojzesz Seiler. Along with his wife, he arrived in England in September 1939 from Poland via France. He was a medical doctor. We hope the shoes fitted them well! buff.ly/kY1BrFn

Cardboard cut out of show size with measurement annotations. There is a larger one underneath and a smaller one on top

Cardboard cut out of show size with measurement annotations.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 28

#OnThisDay in 1838 Queen Victoria was crowned. She wrote this letter to Lord Palmerston just one week before, seeking his advice on matters of state. Her handwriting is not easy to decipher: can you figure out what she's asking? If it proves a challenge we've got a transcript online buff.ly/nBzzrBW

Handwritten letter. The paper is pale cream beige colour and the ink is brown black.

Part of a handwritten letter. The paper is pale cream beige colour and the ink is brown black.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 26

We continue our look back at the Southampton music scene thanks to the University of Southampton's music supplement The Edge of 16 Feb 2007. Upcoming gigs included Bloc Party at the Guildhall and Decembrists at Southampton University

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 25

Keeping cool at Ventnor with the help of the bathing machines. One of the postcards produced by George Digweed, who was a beach photographer there for forty years.

Black and white image of wheeled bathing machines in the sea, at the nearest one, two women are sitting on its steps and a man and woman are sitting in the water.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 24

Who else wants to dive straight in?! The swimming pool of the Washington Hotel in Colón, Panama, 1931 from Edwina Mountbatten's photograph album of her tour of the West Indies, Mexico, Central and South America and the USA buff.ly/TF9SYqP

Black and white photograph of the swimming pool of the Washington Hotel. It is a large, outdoor swimming pool surrounded by concrete terraces. A rope is slung across the pool and there are several steps leading into it. Several people are in the water and more are standing on the sides. They are adults and children. At the far end of the pool are three buildings, one of which appears to have changing rooms on the ground floor. The other two buildings have external steps leading up to the first floor.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 24

Celebrate the power of writing creatively! #NationalWritingDay @literacytrust.org.uk is inspiring us all to write for fun and self-expression. Image from the Archives of the Centre for Jewish Education advertising a short story competition which took place in 1986 buff.ly/qmFZuly

A poster advertising a short story competition. It has a pale green background. There is black text and images. It shows a child in a dress with a flower on and hair in bunches. They are holding balloons.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 24

#OnThisDay in 1822 Anna Hold, housekeeper at Broadlands celebrated her 84th birthday. She was still working for Lord Palmerston! "My Lord all is safe and my self in perfect health and activity. My gracious Lord in knowing this will not have one anxious thought for dear Broadlands. My kind and...

Part of a handwritten letter. You can see the crease where the letter has been folded. You can also see some faint pencil lines. The paper is a pale creamy beige colour and the ink is black-brown.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 20

#OnThisDay in 1914 Hartley University College, renamed University College of Southampton, was officially opened at its new Highfield site by the Lord Chancellor Viscount Haldane. After performing their “Gobli” or war dance with its accompanying “Goblio” or war cry around the Chancellor...

A black and white photograph.
The architect presenting the keys to Lord Haldane at the official opening of the Highfield buildings, 1914
The image shows two men in formal suits. You can see some seated people in the background

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 19

As the Southampton Summer Sessions music concerts get underway at Guildhall Square, we look back at the local music scene from yesteryear through the University of Southampton's music supplement The Edge of 16 Feb 2007 - upcoming gigs included Klaxons and I am Kloot at the Joiners...

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 18

As far as the guidebook writers of the 18th century were concerned, every day was a #CleanAirDay in Southampton. According to the 1787 guide, the purity of the air was then considered one of the attractions for visitors, alongside the mineral spa and sea-water bathing.

Extract from printed guide commenting on the "most pure and salubrious atmosphere" which contributes towards the longevity of the inhabitants.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 12

The @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social theme for June is #EYAColourful, so we share a rather colourful decoration from the Montse Stanley textile and object collection buff.ly/oAsAkGl

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 11

Some people who would have been keen supporters of #BikeWeek - here we have a photograph of the Vectis and Isle of Wight Cycling Clubs taken outside the Clarendon Hotel, Shanklin in July 1900.

black and white photograph of a large group of men, most wearing jackets and ties, standing with their bikes, in front of the Clarendon Hotel.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 10

For today's #EYAColourful + #WellingtonWednesday we've found a coloured pen and ink sketch plan of the former Beggars Bush Barracks in Dublin and the surrounding area @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social

‘Beggars Bush Barracks, Dublin. Sketch by Captain Maitland, 24th Regiment, March 1844.

Coloured pen and ink sketch plan of the barracks and the surrounding area, bounded by the Grand Canal, the Dublin and Kingstown Railway, Trinity College Botanical Gardens and land to the west of Northumberland Road.

Buildings are shown in block plan.

There are notes on the barracks and the stocks of provisions, fuel, water and ammunition held, together with notes on the defences of the barracks.

North is marked.

Scale 2 feet: 1 mile

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 10

It's #BikeWeek! So we're sharing this photograph of Prince George of Battenberg with his nieces, Margarita and Theodora at Germains, Buckinghamshire from 1910. #Cycling with @cyclinguk.bsky.social: happier, healthier and greener lives through cycling!

Black and white photograph of Prince George of Battenberg with his nieces, Princess Margarita and Princess Theodora of Greece. Princess Margarita is on a bicycle, with Prince George sitting behind her, holding the handlebars, while her sister stands beside them. Behind them is Germains, a house the Battenbergs rented during the summer of 1910. It has sash windows and much of the walls are covered by creepers. The little girls are wearing white dresses and sun-hats.

Hartley Special Collections@hartleyspecialc· Jun 8

Do you have apple trees in your garden or allotment? Could you help with the search for the Beauty of Bitterne? Learn about apple varieties in Southampton with Mac Ince of the Sholing Valleys Study Centre as part of our #HeritageOpenDayEvents! www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-e...