Francesca Hillier
@frannabel2010.bsky.social
London mum, likes cats, museums, archives & indexing. Senior Archivist, British Museum
Born #OTD in 1812, #CharlesDickens visited the reading room of the #britishmuseum on 11th October 1839. Here is the page from the register showing his attendance. #archives
February 7, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Born #OTD in 1812, #CharlesDickens visited the reading room of the #britishmuseum on 11th October 1839. Here is the page from the register showing his attendance. #archives
The #BritishMuseum opened to the public for the 1st time #OTD in 1759. Happy 267th anniversary! Here is the Trustees’ Minute where the date was agreed & the design for the tickets needed to get in. #archives
January 15, 2026 at 9:55 AM
The #BritishMuseum opened to the public for the 1st time #OTD in 1759. Happy 267th anniversary! Here is the Trustees’ Minute where the date was agreed & the design for the tickets needed to get in. #archives
Sir Hans Sloane died #OTD in 1753. His collection became the foundation of the #BritishMuseum, as well as the #BritishLibrary & the #NHM in #London. Here is the Deed of Foundation & an engraving of the Museum’s 1st home, Montagu House. #archives
January 11, 2026 at 11:14 AM
Sir Hans Sloane died #OTD in 1753. His collection became the foundation of the #BritishMuseum, as well as the #BritishLibrary & the #NHM in #London. Here is the Deed of Foundation & an engraving of the Museum’s 1st home, Montagu House. #archives
#OTD in 1863 the London Underground 1st opened to the public. The #BritishMuseum had its own station in High Holborn from 1900-33 & used the tunnels at Aldwych for storage in WWII. #londontransportmuseum #archives #londonunderground
January 10, 2026 at 8:55 AM
#OTD in 1863 the London Underground 1st opened to the public. The #BritishMuseum had its own station in High Holborn from 1900-33 & used the tunnels at Aldwych for storage in WWII. #londontransportmuseum #archives #londonunderground
It doesn’t snow in London very often but the Museum looks glorious when it does! #archiveadventcalendar #WinterWonderland #britishmuseum #archives
December 23, 2025 at 2:30 PM
It doesn’t snow in London very often but the Museum looks glorious when it does! #archiveadventcalendar #WinterWonderland #britishmuseum #archives
Love this photo of a Christmas tree in the Front Hall of the Museum from a few years ago! #archiveadventcalendar #festivetraditions #britishmuseum #archives
December 21, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Love this photo of a Christmas tree in the Front Hall of the Museum from a few years ago! #archiveadventcalendar #festivetraditions #britishmuseum #archives
There were many fireplaces for #warmfires in the #britishmuseum staff residences - here is WA Marsden (Keeper of Manuscripts) & his son in No.1 West Residence in 1935 & the Director’s sitting room, also in the West Residence in the 1970s. #archiveadventcalendar #archives
December 20, 2025 at 9:43 AM
There were many fireplaces for #warmfires in the #britishmuseum staff residences - here is WA Marsden (Keeper of Manuscripts) & his son in No.1 West Residence in 1935 & the Director’s sitting room, also in the West Residence in the 1970s. #archiveadventcalendar #archives
When the Sir Montague Guest archive came to the Museum in 1906 it was sealed for 50 years. When it was opened, it contained a lot of party and dancing invitations. He must have attended many parties at Christmas! #archiveadventcalendar #ChristmasParty #britishmuseum #archive
December 19, 2025 at 3:30 PM
When the Sir Montague Guest archive came to the Museum in 1906 it was sealed for 50 years. When it was opened, it contained a lot of party and dancing invitations. He must have attended many parties at Christmas! #archiveadventcalendar #ChristmasParty #britishmuseum #archive
There is some lovely archive material in the collection relating to the bell & bell-shrine of St Conall Cael, including an original drawing from the 1830s & an illustration by former BM illustrator Jim Farrant. #archiveadventcalendar #bells #britishmuseum #archives
December 16, 2025 at 11:13 AM
There is some lovely archive material in the collection relating to the bell & bell-shrine of St Conall Cael, including an original drawing from the 1830s & an illustration by former BM illustrator Jim Farrant. #archiveadventcalendar #bells #britishmuseum #archives
The #britishmuseum #archives has a lot of hand printed and embossed paper, often used to wrap archival documents and papers. These are particularly lovely examples, from Lady Banks’s Dairy Book of Oriental China from the early 19th C. #archiveadventcalendar #wrappingpaper
December 15, 2025 at 12:44 PM
The #britishmuseum #archives has a lot of hand printed and embossed paper, often used to wrap archival documents and papers. These are particularly lovely examples, from Lady Banks’s Dairy Book of Oriental China from the early 19th C. #archiveadventcalendar #wrappingpaper
#archiveadventcalendar #decorations #britishmuseum #archives The British Museum has had some lovely decorations up in the shop over the years! #christmastree #christmasdecorations
December 14, 2025 at 10:10 AM
#archiveadventcalendar #decorations #britishmuseum #archives The British Museum has had some lovely decorations up in the shop over the years! #christmastree #christmasdecorations
The #britishmuseum has had lots of shops over its long history, starting with the 1st one in 1929, which sold mainly postcards from Front Hall. The current Grenville Shop was originally a library space, shown here in 1875. #archiveadventcalendar #shopping #archives #museumshops
December 13, 2025 at 8:22 AM
The #britishmuseum has had lots of shops over its long history, starting with the 1st one in 1929, which sold mainly postcards from Front Hall. The current Grenville Shop was originally a library space, shown here in 1875. #archiveadventcalendar #shopping #archives #museumshops
#archiveadventcalendar #darknights I love this atmospheric photo, taken from the Museum’s Colonnade at night. #britishmuseum #archives
December 11, 2025 at 9:52 AM
#archiveadventcalendar #darknights I love this atmospheric photo, taken from the Museum’s Colonnade at night. #britishmuseum #archives
#archiveadventcalendar #christmascards The #BritishMuseum started selling Christmas Cards in the 1930s from its recently opened postcard stall in the Front Hall. Here’s a selection of what was on offer. #archives
December 10, 2025 at 10:08 AM
#archiveadventcalendar #christmascards The #BritishMuseum started selling Christmas Cards in the 1930s from its recently opened postcard stall in the Front Hall. Here’s a selection of what was on offer. #archives
#EYA #EYAYourArchives The #BritishMuseum #archive is an important record of its history. As we embark on a vast cataloguing programme, there’s much to discover. These items came from Frederic Kenyon’s archive & include letter from #RudyardKipling & an autograph book of archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon
December 7, 2025 at 11:13 AM
#EYA #EYAYourArchives The #BritishMuseum #archive is an important record of its history. As we embark on a vast cataloguing programme, there’s much to discover. These items came from Frederic Kenyon’s archive & include letter from #RudyardKipling & an autograph book of archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon
The #britishmuseum celebrates its birthday on 10th December & this year will be its 272nd anniversary. Here is the Deed of Foundation from 1753 & its 250th anniversary bow in 2003. It’s also the 25th anniversary of the Great Court, which opened in 2000! #EYA #eyaanniversaries #archives
December 7, 2025 at 8:17 AM
The #britishmuseum celebrates its birthday on 10th December & this year will be its 272nd anniversary. Here is the Deed of Foundation from 1753 & its 250th anniversary bow in 2003. It’s also the 25th anniversary of the Great Court, which opened in 2000! #EYA #eyaanniversaries #archives
Here is the Great Court looking lovely with star-shaped snowflakes projected onto the walls during a Christmas event in 2013. #archiveadventcalendar #star #britishmuseum #archives
December 7, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Here is the Great Court looking lovely with star-shaped snowflakes projected onto the walls during a Christmas event in 2013. #archiveadventcalendar #star #britishmuseum #archives
#archiveadventcalendar #wintersports Maybe more of a sport played in winter rather than a winter sport, this early #football rule book from 1876 was found in the papers of Sir Frederic Kenyon, Director & PL of #britishmuseum from 1909. The Museum has its own inter-museum team from 1919. #archives
December 6, 2025 at 8:46 AM
#archiveadventcalendar #wintersports Maybe more of a sport played in winter rather than a winter sport, this early #football rule book from 1876 was found in the papers of Sir Frederic Kenyon, Director & PL of #britishmuseum from 1909. The Museum has its own inter-museum team from 1919. #archives
This is one of the Museum cats from the 1980s, beautifully posing next to a Christmas tree! The cats were very spoiled by staff & were given lots of treats & gifts at Christmas! #archiveadventcalendar #tree #britishmuseum #cats #archives #christmastree
December 5, 2025 at 10:26 AM
This is one of the Museum cats from the 1980s, beautifully posing next to a Christmas tree! The cats were very spoiled by staff & were given lots of treats & gifts at Christmas! #archiveadventcalendar #tree #britishmuseum #cats #archives #christmastree
The British Museum/British Library Choral Society staged regular concerts and carol services. This image is from a concert in 1997 staged as a farewell to the Reading Room. #archiveadventcalendar #christmascarols #britishmuseum #archives #britishlibrary
December 4, 2025 at 9:56 AM
The British Museum/British Library Choral Society staged regular concerts and carol services. This image is from a concert in 1997 staged as a farewell to the Reading Room. #archiveadventcalendar #christmascarols #britishmuseum #archives #britishlibrary
With the right #! #boxesandbows
For #archiveadventcalendar #boxesandbowes here is a letter from Daniel Solander, the famous botanist, after whom the Solander box was named - he worked at the #britishmuseum until his death in 1782. And for the bow, the Museum was adorned with a lovely bow for its 250 anniversary in 2003. #archives
December 3, 2025 at 9:36 AM
With the right #! #boxesandbows
#EYAPets The #britishmuseum is known to have many cats, & a Cat Society to look after them. Brought in to manage mice, their numbers rose to more than 100 in the 1980s! Staff & Directors also had pets, such as Mike the cat, & the dog laying by the fire in the Director’s living room! #archives #cats
December 3, 2025 at 9:34 AM
#EYAPets The #britishmuseum is known to have many cats, & a Cat Society to look after them. Brought in to manage mice, their numbers rose to more than 100 in the 1980s! Staff & Directors also had pets, such as Mike the cat, & the dog laying by the fire in the Director’s living room! #archives #cats
For #archiveadventcalendar #boxesandbowes here is a letter from Daniel Solander, the famous botanist, after whom the Solander box was named - he worked at the #britishmuseum until his death in 1782. And for the bow, the Museum was adorned with a lovely bow for its 250 anniversary in 2003. #archives
December 3, 2025 at 7:35 AM
For #archiveadventcalendar #boxesandbowes here is a letter from Daniel Solander, the famous botanist, after whom the Solander box was named - he worked at the #britishmuseum until his death in 1782. And for the bow, the Museum was adorned with a lovely bow for its 250 anniversary in 2003. #archives
The Round Reading Room at the British Museum was historical a quiet place for study & reflection. People were often removed for being too noisy! #britishmuseum #archives #EYASilence #britishlibrary #readingroom
December 2, 2025 at 2:58 PM
The Round Reading Room at the British Museum was historical a quiet place for study & reflection. People were often removed for being too noisy! #britishmuseum #archives #EYASilence #britishlibrary #readingroom
#archiveadventcalendar #festivelights The British Museum, to celebrate George III’s recovery from illness in 1789, put up festive lights around the front door of the museum. These are the designs for the display. #britishmuseum #archives
December 2, 2025 at 12:52 PM
#archiveadventcalendar #festivelights The British Museum, to celebrate George III’s recovery from illness in 1789, put up festive lights around the front door of the museum. These are the designs for the display. #britishmuseum #archives