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Happy #NationalFetchDay! 

Even in the peaceful world of the Poor Clares, Darlington, dogs brought joy and companionship. 

These archival photos show nuns sharing quiet moments with a furry friend—perhaps after a game of fetch? 

Poor Clares, Darlington Collection, MISC.2024/25:34 
#DUCollections
A side profile of a nun playing with a brindle boxer, standing on hind legs and grabbing a ball with his mouth. Nun playing ball with brindle boxer wearing a white cape, dog standing on all fours waiting.
October 17, 2025 at 1:12 PM
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We’re excited to announce the addition of a new collection! The Graham Noble collection includes materials from legendary figures and moments from the history of Martial Arts! It offers a unique look into martial arts and its cultural influence. 
#DUCollections #MartialArtsArchives
Image of the Graham Noble archival collection on the shelf, including Lever-arch files with the following titles, left to right: Jui-Jitsu in the West, Ju-Jutsu and Judo in Japan, Judo and Goshinjutsu (Self-Defence), Jiu-Jitsu and Self-Defence Books, Judo, Western Traditions 
September 16, 2025 at 12:35 PM
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Happy Friday!

It’s the end of our third week over here on #Bluesky and we’ve reached over 1k followers already! Hello to you all and thanks so much for following 👋😊

#Durham #DUCollections
Exterior of Palace Green Library building with the grassed area of Palace Green in the foreground.
January 31, 2025 at 2:22 PM
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Calling all Durham University students and staff! This World Art Day why not check out some of the sculpture in and around Durham University buildings? Our campus is full of hidden treasures! Do you know where all these are? #DUCollections
A grey stone sculpture, of a four curved, interlocking lobes, situated outside on a light grey plinth with a green lawn in the background. A map of the British Isles inlaid into a concrete floor rendered in different types of stones corresponding to the geological profile of that area of the country. An outdoor sculpture of a sphere made of pebbles with mirrored cutaway section and a central copper-coloured sphere. On the mirrored section there is a frosted coat of arms and motto saying ‘To seek the highest through knowledge and wisdom’. An outdoor sculpture of a life-size ancient chariot drawn by two horses, made of galvanised steel. 
April 15, 2025 at 12:32 PM
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The two-day event started at Palace Green Library and involved learning about garden history, learning how to transcribe recipes and trying out some interpretations of eighteenth century recipes.

iiif.durham.ac.uk/index.html?m...

#DUCollections
A group of people sat around a table that is covered in papers. A group of people in a historic room sat around a table with books supported on cushions.
September 26, 2025 at 3:58 PM
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Very few parts of the city outside medieval core were not in some way touched by bulldozers for the new road schemes.  This picture (c.1962) shows the newly constructed 3rd Baths bridge in the foreground with the now lost Pelaw Leazes (right) and Woodbine Cottage (centre). #durham #DUCollections
Black and white photograph of the new Baths bridge (1963) over the river Wear in Durham, with now demolished buildings in the background. 
February 6, 2025 at 2:06 PM
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In 1944, a local town planner Thomas Sharp created a plan for urban renewal in Durham. His scheme was finally brought to fruition between 1966 and 1974. The photograph shows the construction of the new Millburngate Bridge in 1966.

#Durham #DUCollections
New Millburngate Bridge under construction in Durham. Showing the scaffolding over the River Wear.
January 23, 2025 at 4:34 PM
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Hi! We’re Poppy & Izzy from Archaeology. Over 3 weeks on placement at the #DUMuseumofArchaeology, we explored collections care & curation. We repacked & updated records for the Greek collection and helped design a coin map showing ancient city-states through mythology & trade #DUCollections
An image of Greek collection before the repacking project surrounded by tissue paper A display of one of our student placements preparing to create new storage for the Greek collection. Our Greek collection after the repacking project in their now homes. Our Greek collection after the repacking project in their now homes.
August 27, 2025 at 1:06 PM
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Step into the spooky past with The Haunted Library (1880)! 👻 John F. Layson shares ghostly tales from a Newcastle library. Have you ever seen a ghost in ours? 👀📚 Explore the mystery! 📖 Ref: SC 10874 #HauntedLibrary #GhostStories #NewcastleHistory #DUCollections
Book cover illustration featuring ghosts, ghouls, and spooky imagery.
October 16, 2025 at 12:37 PM
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An unfamiliar view of Durham? This is Woodbine Cottage, at Baths Bridge. Unfamiliar today as the cottage was demolished in 1965 following a landslip from Leazes Road iiif.durham.ac.uk/index.html?m... 

#DUCollections #durham #1960s
Black and white view of Woodbine Cottage by the River Wear near Baths Bridge looking towards Durham City, probably taken in the early 1960s. The cottage has a large bay window looking east up the river. A solitary figure walks under a lamp post. 
March 5, 2025 at 11:11 AM
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Only one week left to see ‘Beasts and Legends: Adventures through North East Folklore’ - a great way to get ready for the spooky season! #BeastsandLegends #DUCollections
The cauld lad, a boar and the Lambton worm as shadows hovering over the shadow of a soldier with a sword. The shadow is attached to a small boy standing in a doorway.  
October 30, 2025 at 2:53 PM
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By the early 20th century much of the city’s historic 17th and 18th century buildings were little more than slums. The 1920s saw mass slum clearances, especially in Millburngate. This photograph shows preparations in the 1960s for a new Road Scheme. 

#DUCollections #Durham
Old buildings and construction of new roads in Millburngate area of Durham. 
January 15, 2025 at 12:10 PM
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👻 Ainsley’s Durham Almanac (1887) tells of Flass Well, haunted by Janet Ramshaw’s ghost. Since 1789, locals have spotted her eerie form and heard strange shrieks, keeping people away at night. Would you dare visit? 📖 Ref: XL 059.4281 AIN/15 #DurhamGhosts #DUCollections
Open book displaying the beginning of a story alongside an illustration of a man walking away from a well. 
October 28, 2025 at 10:40 AM
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Towards the end of last year, we were thrilled to welcome @lucyworsley.bsky.social and the team from the BBC to film in #DUCosinsLibrary to feature in the latest series of #LucyWorsleyInvestigates

You can watch the episode at 9pm on Friday 17 January on BBC Two 👍

#DUCollections #DurhamUniversity
Lucy Worsley looking at the Bayeux Tapestry. Text reads; "Lucy Worsley Investigates: 1066. BBC Two, Friday 17th Jan 21:00, BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions" and lists all individuals involved in the production of the series.
January 14, 2025 at 12:01 PM
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Archives are never dull! 
Check out a puzzle from the archives of Kenneth David Druitt Henderson—scholar and colonial officer.  

Curious what else might reside in our archive? Start exploring yourself:    
n2t.durham.ac.uk/ark:/32150/s...

 #EYAFunandGames #DUCollections
A photograph of the puzzle box wrapped in Christmas wrapping of holly with a bible message taped onto it: “…the land……which is beyond the rivers of Ethippia: That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters……..Isaiah, Chap 18 vv. 1 and 2, 404 pieces” A photograph of the puzzle pieces all spread out on a wooden table. A photograph the puzzle pieces being sorted and assembled with several pairs of hands. A photograph of the puzzle partially completed the image of a Shilluk paddling a canoe beginning to be visible.  
July 21, 2025 at 1:11 PM
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As a timeline cleanse and to celebrate the first days of Spring, here are some rather lovely spring flowers from Rembert Dodoens’ Cruydeboeck (Antwerp 1563), DUL SC+ 00092. You are very welcome! #springhassprung #DUCollections
SC+ 00092 daffodil: image showing two hand-coloured woodcuts of different types of daffodil, with their names appearing above each flower in Latin. The image is from a book on medicinal plants and it shows the flower, leaves and bulb. The flowers are white with a yellow centre. SC+ 00092 cowslip: image showing two hand-coloured woodcuts of different types of cowslip, from a book on medicinal plants. The plants are shown completely, including the roots. The names of the plants are printed in Dutch at the top of the image. The flowers are yellow.  SC+ 00092 lungwort: image showing a hand-coloured woodcut of lungwort or pulmonaria, with the name printed in Latin and Dutch above it. The image is from a book on medicinal plants and it shows the flowers, leaves, and root system. The flowers are red and blue. SC+ 00092 muscari or grape hyacinth: image showing three hand-coloured woodcuts of different types of grape hyacinth, from a book on medicinal plants. The plants are shown completely, including bulbs. The flowers are blue.
March 24, 2025 at 1:42 PM
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#NationalCatDay - and we’re remembering one very special feline: Tinkerbelle who lived with the Poor Clares Darlington from 2007-2013. 
More than a pet — a quiet companion in the cloister, a curious presence, and a gentle soul who made her mark in quiet ways. 
#DUCollections
An artistic photo of a brown tabby named Tinkerbelle lounging on a concrete sidewalk, looking off into distance from 2007. A brown tabby named Tinkerbelle rolled over onto her back on a concrete sidewalk with a pen written label of July 2013, A nun, holding a brown tabby named Tinkerbelle up to a camera and waving the cats right paw from 2007. Artistic photo of a brown tabby named Tinkerbelle laying sideways on a concrete sidewalk. 
October 29, 2025 at 11:44 AM
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Did you know that C. E. Whiting’s definitive history of Durham University, published in 1932 to mark the centenary of the University, is freely available to read online? iiif.durham.ac.uk/index.html?m...

#DUCollections #durham

@durhamuniversity.bsky.social @durhamhistory.bsky.social
Title page and frontispiece of C. E. Whiting’s The University of Durham, 1832-1932 (London: The Sheldon Press, 1932).
February 20, 2025 at 3:11 PM
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Don’t miss any of the amazing objects on display! Come check out a real Roman Altar made to honour fallen soldiers. If you look closely, you can see the wild boar.

Come see this object and many others at Palace Green Library.

#beastsandlegends #DUcollections #adventure #exhibition
Front face of a sandstone altar. There is an inscription in latin
June 18, 2025 at 4:05 PM
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We have been working with Prof. Joon Yang Kim from Niigata University, Japan. He has been looking at Anime cels, Cosplay costumes and objects related to them.

Here he is looking at a cosplay costume for the character of Shōtarō Kaneda from the Japanese anime and manga series Akira. #DUCollections
Professor looking at an unofficial red Akira costume in our research room. DUROM.2021.276-27 Professor taking photos of at an unofficial red Akira costume in our research room. DUROM.2021.276-278 Photo of Professor Joon Yang Kim, Dario Lolli, Assistant Professor in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Gill Ramsay, Assistant Curator at the Oriental Museum.
April 1, 2025 at 12:50 PM
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Drop in to the Palace Green Library for an adventure this week! ‘Beasts and Legends: Adventures through North East Folklore’ is open all summer!

#BeastsandLegends #studentexhibition #DUCollections
Colour photograph of a person looking through a peephole into an exhibition case with the title 'Ghosts and Ghouls'.
July 25, 2025 at 12:44 PM