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) 🌈
Brandy feeding time 🎄
November 14, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Brandy feeding time 🎄
A wonderfully elaborate binding for Mrs Elizabeth Colles, from the early seventeenth century. It contains three linguistic works, including Thomas Thomas’s Dictionary (Cambridge, 1610). @theulspeccoll.bsky.social Rel.d.61.2. #herbook
November 14, 2025 at 12:58 PM
A wonderfully elaborate binding for Mrs Elizabeth Colles, from the early seventeenth century. It contains three linguistic works, including Thomas Thomas’s Dictionary (Cambridge, 1610). @theulspeccoll.bsky.social Rel.d.61.2. #herbook
A ghoulish end to Adam Moore’s ‘Bread for the poor: and advancement of the English nation promised by enclosure’ (London, 1653). @theulspeccoll.bsky.social Syn.7.60.216(8). #mementomori
November 13, 2025 at 2:34 PM
A ghoulish end to Adam Moore’s ‘Bread for the poor: and advancement of the English nation promised by enclosure’ (London, 1653). @theulspeccoll.bsky.social Syn.7.60.216(8). #mementomori
Nice gilt centrepiece, on a copy of Giovanni Botero’s ‘Relations, of the most famous kingdoms and commonweales thorough the world’ (London, 1616). From the library of Thomas Knyvett (1539-1616), High Sheriff of Norfolk & now @theulspeccoll.bsky.social O.9.41.
November 13, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Nice gilt centrepiece, on a copy of Giovanni Botero’s ‘Relations, of the most famous kingdoms and commonweales thorough the world’ (London, 1616). From the library of Thomas Knyvett (1539-1616), High Sheriff of Norfolk & now @theulspeccoll.bsky.social O.9.41.
Caryatids, from the first illustrated edition of Vitruvius, printed at #Venice by Johannes Tacuinus, de Tridino, in 1511. Now @theulspeccoll.bsky.social (via John Moore, Bishop of Ely, died 1714) M.8.47.
November 12, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Caryatids, from the first illustrated edition of Vitruvius, printed at #Venice by Johannes Tacuinus, de Tridino, in 1511. Now @theulspeccoll.bsky.social (via John Moore, Bishop of Ely, died 1714) M.8.47.
A very beardy Robert Sinker (1838-1913), Librarian of @trincollcam.bsky.social 1871-1907. Painted here in 1896 by Charles Brock, sitting in a bay of the Wren Library in his DD gown. The picture is still at Trinity.
November 12, 2025 at 1:25 PM
A very beardy Robert Sinker (1838-1913), Librarian of @trincollcam.bsky.social 1871-1907. Painted here in 1896 by Charles Brock, sitting in a bay of the Wren Library in his DD gown. The picture is still at Trinity.
It me. A slip song printed in the early nineteenth century by John Pitts, printer and toy-seller in Seven Dials (Bloomsbury, London). From the vast and wonderful collection of Madden Ballads @theulspeccoll.bsky.social (volume 9, item 433).
November 11, 2025 at 4:06 PM
It me. A slip song printed in the early nineteenth century by John Pitts, printer and toy-seller in Seven Dials (Bloomsbury, London). From the vast and wonderful collection of Madden Ballads @theulspeccoll.bsky.social (volume 9, item 433).
One for the clergy. From Kelly’s Oxford Directory for 1890-91. @theulspeccoll.bsky.social L481.24.d.4.2.
November 11, 2025 at 11:17 AM
One for the clergy. From Kelly’s Oxford Directory for 1890-91. @theulspeccoll.bsky.social L481.24.d.4.2.
Fun discovery @theulspeccoll.bsky.social today: wonderful 1820s imagery depicting the 11th-century samurai warrior Minamoto no Yoshiie, changing into his armour. CUL FJ.973.50.
November 10, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Fun discovery @theulspeccoll.bsky.social today: wonderful 1820s imagery depicting the 11th-century samurai warrior Minamoto no Yoshiie, changing into his armour. CUL FJ.973.50.
Pointy. In a work by Jerónimo Osório, printed at Lisbon in 1567 and now @theulspeccoll.bsky.social Adv.c.8.1.
November 7, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Pointy. In a work by Jerónimo Osório, printed at Lisbon in 1567 and now @theulspeccoll.bsky.social Adv.c.8.1.
One of my favourite student seminars of the year, looking at Venetian Sessa imprints wry cats @theulspeccoll.bsky.social 🐱
November 6, 2025 at 11:22 AM
One of my favourite student seminars of the year, looking at Venetian Sessa imprints wry cats @theulspeccoll.bsky.social 🐱
A hammered bronze lion’s head, made in the 8th century BCE, and spotted last week in the museum at Olympia, Greece. The eyes would have been inlaid and it was possibly attached to a votive shield or used as a building decoration.
November 6, 2025 at 8:35 AM
A hammered bronze lion’s head, made in the 8th century BCE, and spotted last week in the museum at Olympia, Greece. The eyes would have been inlaid and it was possibly attached to a votive shield or used as a building decoration.
Printing historians! A student asked today the purpose of the black dots around the Aldine mark in this copy of his Dante (1502). Perhaps they’re just a way of framing it but I’ve not noticed it before. @theulspeccoll.bsky.social Young.253.
November 5, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Printing historians! A student asked today the purpose of the black dots around the Aldine mark in this copy of his Dante (1502). Perhaps they’re just a way of framing it but I’ve not noticed it before. @theulspeccoll.bsky.social Young.253.
Excited to have been elected Hon. Secretary of @bibsoc.bsky.social, doing good work to promote bookish research since 1892. Daunted to be following in the footsteps of the great A. W. Pollard (pictured in 1928), R. B. McKerrow & Mirjam Foot among others, but looking forward to new things!
November 3, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Excited to have been elected Hon. Secretary of @bibsoc.bsky.social, doing good work to promote bookish research since 1892. Daunted to be following in the footsteps of the great A. W. Pollard (pictured in 1928), R. B. McKerrow & Mirjam Foot among others, but looking forward to new things!
Spotted you in the wild @drfrancisyoung.bsky.social! Alongside Geoffrey Munn’s display of early modern magical objects @antiquaries.bsky.social on Friday.
November 2, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Spotted you in the wild @drfrancisyoung.bsky.social! Alongside Geoffrey Munn’s display of early modern magical objects @antiquaries.bsky.social on Friday.
Skeletons for #Halloween, from the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493). About the least rare rare book in existence (@theulspeccoll.bsky.social has 5 copies) but this one hand-coloured and part of a donation made in 1574 by Elizabeth I's Archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker. Inc.0.A.7.2[888].
October 31, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Skeletons for #Halloween, from the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493). About the least rare rare book in existence (@theulspeccoll.bsky.social has 5 copies) but this one hand-coloured and part of a donation made in 1574 by Elizabeth I's Archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker. Inc.0.A.7.2[888].
Second brandy feeding of the Christmas cake.
October 30, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Second brandy feeding of the Christmas cake.
Now back home from a wonderful 6 days in Greece (Athens, then a 1300-km coach tour including Epidaurus, Olympia, Mycenae, Delphi & the hilltop monasteries of Meteora). This #owl is in the Acropolis Museum: made in the 4th century BC and found in the Odeion of Pericles at the SE foot of the Acropolis
October 30, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Now back home from a wonderful 6 days in Greece (Athens, then a 1300-km coach tour including Epidaurus, Olympia, Mycenae, Delphi & the hilltop monasteries of Meteora). This #owl is in the Acropolis Museum: made in the 4th century BC and found in the Odeion of Pericles at the SE foot of the Acropolis
Holidays are great and all but it’s bloody lovely to get home.
October 29, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Holidays are great and all but it’s bloody lovely to get home.
Back in Athens for one more night. Time for drinks & Parthenon views. With @aglmasters.bsky.social (who took the pic).
October 28, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Back in Athens for one more night. Time for drinks & Parthenon views. With @aglmasters.bsky.social (who took the pic).
The hilltop monasteries of Meteora today, plus a lot of cats. With @aglmasters.bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 4:43 PM
The hilltop monasteries of Meteora today, plus a lot of cats. With @aglmasters.bsky.social
Delphi this morning was astonishingly beautiful. With @aglmasters.bsky.social.
October 27, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Delphi this morning was astonishingly beautiful. With @aglmasters.bsky.social.