Dr Liam Sims
@liamsims.bsky.social
Rare Books Specialist @theul.bsky.social |
Hon. Secretary @bibsoc.bsky.social | Fellow @antiquaries.bsky.social | Venetophile | Bellringer | PhD on antiquarian networks in 18thC Lincolnshire (thesis linked in pinned post) 🌈
Hon. Secretary @bibsoc.bsky.social | Fellow @antiquaries.bsky.social | Venetophile | Bellringer | PhD on antiquarian networks in 18thC Lincolnshire (thesis linked in pinned post) 🌈
Pinned
Dr Liam Sims
@liamsims.bsky.social
· Dec 14
My PhD thesis is now available online through the University of Leicester repository! 'Sociability, Provincial Antiquarianism and Networks of Knowledge in the Spalding Gentlemen's Society, 1710-1755'. figshare.le.ac.uk/articles/the...
Reposted by Dr Liam Sims
Some cozy kitchen therapy for you on a winter’s night from the snug world of Brambly Hedge
February 15, 2026 at 10:35 PM
Some cozy kitchen therapy for you on a winter’s night from the snug world of Brambly Hedge
Reposted by Dr Liam Sims
2/2 Cecilia Gonzaga in 1447, also looking very fine and also by Pisanello, because he was also a medallist.
February 15, 2026 at 10:35 PM
2/2 Cecilia Gonzaga in 1447, also looking very fine and also by Pisanello, because he was also a medallist.
Deffo one of my favourite things in the @17sgs10.bsky.social archive! ❤️
Happy Valentine's Day! In honour of the occasion, we thought you'd enjoy seeing an anatomical paper model of a heart. It was delivered in a letter, from Spalding Gentlemen's Society member Cromwell Mortimer, in 1735. It will feature in our next exhibition - details coming soon. #HappyValentinesDay
February 14, 2026 at 9:38 AM
Deffo one of my favourite things in the @17sgs10.bsky.social archive! ❤️
Courtship, seventeenth-century style, for Valentine’s Day. From ‘The art of making love: or, rules for the conduct of ladies and gallants in their amours’, published in London in 1676. @theulspeccoll.bsky.social U*.8.82(G). #valentinesday
February 14, 2026 at 8:28 AM
Courtship, seventeenth-century style, for Valentine’s Day. From ‘The art of making love: or, rules for the conduct of ladies and gallants in their amours’, published in London in 1676. @theulspeccoll.bsky.social U*.8.82(G). #valentinesday
Reposted by Dr Liam Sims
If you have graduate students working with medieval manuscripts this free online training might be useful 👇
www.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
www.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
Digital Tools for Manuscript Studies
www.sas.ac.uk
January 23, 2026 at 2:55 PM
If you have graduate students working with medieval manuscripts this free online training might be useful 👇
www.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
www.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
Reposted by Dr Liam Sims
February 13, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Great day in Oxford, looking at John Baskerville’s Greek matrices at OUP. Plus a quick jaunt to see old favourites @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social.
February 12, 2026 at 8:22 PM
Great day in Oxford, looking at John Baskerville’s Greek matrices at OUP. Plus a quick jaunt to see old favourites @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social.
Coffee after dinner this evening @stjohnscollege.bsky.social in the astonishing long gallery, built c. 1600 & originally 148ft long. Still lit entirely by candles.
February 11, 2026 at 10:24 PM
Coffee after dinner this evening @stjohnscollege.bsky.social in the astonishing long gallery, built c. 1600 & originally 148ft long. Still lit entirely by candles.
Angela Merkel among the Cambridge honorary degrees this year…
February 11, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Angela Merkel among the Cambridge honorary degrees this year…
A hand-coloured woodcut of Christ with the instruments of the passion. From a Dutch gospel lectionary, printed at Gouda in 1484. Bought by @theulspeccoll.bsky.social in 1869 & now Inc.4.E.3.3[2886].
February 11, 2026 at 1:31 PM
A hand-coloured woodcut of Christ with the instruments of the passion. From a Dutch gospel lectionary, printed at Gouda in 1484. Bought by @theulspeccoll.bsky.social in 1869 & now Inc.4.E.3.3[2886].
Woodcut of the dog & its reflection, from a Latin edition of Aesop’s fables, printed at Verona in 1479. This edition contains 66 woodcuts, possibly by Liberale da Verona. Bought by @theulspeccoll.bsky.social in 1870 & now Inc.4.B.19.2[2161].
February 10, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Woodcut of the dog & its reflection, from a Latin edition of Aesop’s fables, printed at Verona in 1479. This edition contains 66 woodcuts, possibly by Liberale da Verona. Bought by @theulspeccoll.bsky.social in 1870 & now Inc.4.B.19.2[2161].
Reposted by Dr Liam Sims
Meet the 1591 cat man. I am counting 7 cats on and near him. #catcontent
February 10, 2026 at 7:59 AM
Meet the 1591 cat man. I am counting 7 cats on and near him. #catcontent
Oliver & Company! With @aglmasters.bsky.social
February 9, 2026 at 9:04 PM
Oliver & Company! With @aglmasters.bsky.social
Reposted by Dr Liam Sims
🏳️🌈 Gay Life during the Norwich Blitz by Piers Haslam. Join us for our next lunchtime talk marking LGBT+ history month, either in person or online.
📅 Wednesday 11 February 2026
⏲️ 13:00-14:00
🎫 Free, booking essential norfolkrecordofficeblog.org/events-novem...
#norwichintheblitz #lgbthistorymonth
📅 Wednesday 11 February 2026
⏲️ 13:00-14:00
🎫 Free, booking essential norfolkrecordofficeblog.org/events-novem...
#norwichintheblitz #lgbthistorymonth
February 9, 2026 at 9:02 AM
🏳️🌈 Gay Life during the Norwich Blitz by Piers Haslam. Join us for our next lunchtime talk marking LGBT+ history month, either in person or online.
📅 Wednesday 11 February 2026
⏲️ 13:00-14:00
🎫 Free, booking essential norfolkrecordofficeblog.org/events-novem...
#norwichintheblitz #lgbthistorymonth
📅 Wednesday 11 February 2026
⏲️ 13:00-14:00
🎫 Free, booking essential norfolkrecordofficeblog.org/events-novem...
#norwichintheblitz #lgbthistorymonth
An etching of the crucifixion, by the Augsburg engraver Lambrecht Hopfer, c. 1525-50. His image was based on one of 1511 by Albrecht Dürer. Pasted into a volume of texts by Saint Bonaventure (printed at Brescia in 1497), now theulspeccoll.bsky.social Inc.4.B.23.12[3713].
February 9, 2026 at 3:19 PM
An etching of the crucifixion, by the Augsburg engraver Lambrecht Hopfer, c. 1525-50. His image was based on one of 1511 by Albrecht Dürer. Pasted into a volume of texts by Saint Bonaventure (printed at Brescia in 1497), now theulspeccoll.bsky.social Inc.4.B.23.12[3713].
Reposted by Dr Liam Sims
Perched on the edge of the mudflow, Biblioteca Marsiano, a public library in the Sicilian town of Niscemi, hangs over the void. Its basement holds more than 4,000 rare and valuable books. The library lies in the “black zone”, off-limits even to firefighters.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
‘We’ve lost everything’: anger and despair in Sicilian town collapsing after landslide
People in Niscemi struggle to comprehend loss of homes and businesses and feel disaster could have been avoided
www.theguardian.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:19 AM
Perched on the edge of the mudflow, Biblioteca Marsiano, a public library in the Sicilian town of Niscemi, hangs over the void. Its basement holds more than 4,000 rare and valuable books. The library lies in the “black zone”, off-limits even to firefighters.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
And on Rupert Brooke: ‘He has an extraordinarily handsome head, & grows his light silky curls long…’
February 8, 2026 at 9:52 PM
And on Rupert Brooke: ‘He has an extraordinarily handsome head, & grows his light silky curls long…’
A. C. Benson on M. R. James as Provost of King’s: ‘He lives his old easy life, quite alone, quite contented, hating his business meetings … hopes that nothing will happen to disturb him, catalogues MSS, reads Dickens & plays cards’.
February 8, 2026 at 1:20 PM
A. C. Benson on M. R. James as Provost of King’s: ‘He lives his old easy life, quite alone, quite contented, hating his business meetings … hopes that nothing will happen to disturb him, catalogues MSS, reads Dickens & plays cards’.
Marble bust of Sir James Edward Smith (1759-1828), founder of @linneansociety.bsky.social, spotted in the Society this week. In 1784 he bought for £1000 the collection of manuscripts, books & specimens brought together by Carl Linnaeus, which later became the foundations of the Linnean Society.
February 8, 2026 at 10:47 AM
Marble bust of Sir James Edward Smith (1759-1828), founder of @linneansociety.bsky.social, spotted in the Society this week. In 1784 he bought for £1000 the collection of manuscripts, books & specimens brought together by Carl Linnaeus, which later became the foundations of the Linnean Society.
Reposted by Dr Liam Sims
Very excited to announce the new pin in my "It's Dr, Actually" collection: Glow in the dark!! 😍🧪
canopyrobin.etsy.com/listing/1841...
canopyrobin.etsy.com/listing/1841...
February 6, 2026 at 8:32 PM
Very excited to announce the new pin in my "It's Dr, Actually" collection: Glow in the dark!! 😍🧪
canopyrobin.etsy.com/listing/1841...
canopyrobin.etsy.com/listing/1841...
Reposted by Dr Liam Sims
This is a bit niche, but some of the best stuff is! My favourite church pews, a thread… 🤩
No.1 - the crooked, rough & ready pews that are built around columns, at St. Mary’s, Shelton, Bedfordshire 😍
No.1 - the crooked, rough & ready pews that are built around columns, at St. Mary’s, Shelton, Bedfordshire 😍
February 6, 2026 at 3:31 PM
This is a bit niche, but some of the best stuff is! My favourite church pews, a thread… 🤩
No.1 - the crooked, rough & ready pews that are built around columns, at St. Mary’s, Shelton, Bedfordshire 😍
No.1 - the crooked, rough & ready pews that are built around columns, at St. Mary’s, Shelton, Bedfordshire 😍
Fun task last thing on a Friday: recataloguing (because it had disappeared from the catalogue) Francis Bacon’s presentation copy to Cambridge University of his Works (London, 1623). In a contemporary binding of blue velvet embroidered with silver thread. @theulspeccoll.bsky.social Sel.2.84.
February 6, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Fun task last thing on a Friday: recataloguing (because it had disappeared from the catalogue) Francis Bacon’s presentation copy to Cambridge University of his Works (London, 1623). In a contemporary binding of blue velvet embroidered with silver thread. @theulspeccoll.bsky.social Sel.2.84.
Woodcut of the crucifixion, from a Dutch edition of the ‘Speculum Humanæ Salvationis’ (Mirror of Human Salvation), printed at Culemborg in 1483. Given to @theulspeccoll.bsky.social in 1916 & now Inc.4.E.9.1[3112].
February 6, 2026 at 2:06 PM
Woodcut of the crucifixion, from a Dutch edition of the ‘Speculum Humanæ Salvationis’ (Mirror of Human Salvation), printed at Culemborg in 1483. Given to @theulspeccoll.bsky.social in 1916 & now Inc.4.E.9.1[3112].
Reposted by Dr Liam Sims
Coming to your library shelves this summer!
Delighted to announce the 6th volume in the series will be published in June! Click here for details about the forthcoming 'Print and Catholic Persistence in the Dutch Golden Age' by @ewatson.bsky.social boydellandbrewer.com/book/print-a...
#skystorians #CathHist #history #bookhistory #catholicism
#skystorians #CathHist #history #bookhistory #catholicism
February 6, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Coming to your library shelves this summer!