Friday 17 April 2009

Sorry for being away!!!

Hello everybody!

It's been far too many days since I last posted, and I've been missing the blogosphere like mad! The dissertation draft is on its way to completion - not quite there yet, but hopefully by the end of the weekend! *Crosses fingers*

Anyway, I'm back (ish) - posting's going to be less frequent than usual for a while, but I have a few posts up my sleeve and some PHOTOSHOOTS!!! Woop! T-B is back in Cam-land, and we're raring to go!

So... The first of much Easter-term procrastination-shoots:

Wonderland: circa.1628

Wearing - French Connection long grey jersey skirt, TopShop realitees concession twist back t-shirt, Paul Smith mustard blazer, Jocasi belt, ToyWatch, Jaeger brown leather court shoes, brown macrame flower necklace bought from a tiny craft shop in Florence...

- Here I'm looking at one of the indexes... Each large book case has a hand written index inside a little fold out wooden window... Mostly in Latin, but occassionally understandable, they're almost as fascinating as the books themselves!

It was lovely to get out of the main library today for a wander around the "Old Library" in college... Built in 1628 from a donation of £1400 (haha), it houses some of the most precious books in the world - books, manuscripts, journals, paintings, medals, field notes etc - ranging from the 15th century to the present day... 

Some of my favourite things (aside from endless keyword searches of the medieval manuscripts collection) are the works of Ovid that belonged to Lorenzo de Medici (1474 - arms of the Medici - illuminated - and Marsuppini - sketched marginalia - here) , the first complete translation of the Bible into English (photos of pages from 1535 and 1537 here) and the 1808 book on the abolition of the slave trade by Thomas Clarkson, one of our alumni who was instrumental in the abolition along with other almuni including William Wilberforce (photos of illustrations of conditions on slave ships here). 

In the more modern section of the library (- by more modern I mean it holds more recent books), there are vast archives of the works of fellows and alumni including the field notebooks of Jack Goody (anthropologist) and the conference journals, mystery novel manuscripts and neanderthal cartoons of Glyn Daniel - ex Disney-prof of archaeology (- Janus entry for the papers here). 

I love each and every one of those things with a passion, and every time the adorable college special collections librarian (J) lets me into the old library, sometimes for hours at a time, I breathe in the air of musty old books and really think about how lucky I am that they're here... And I'm trusted with their safety! It's quite scary to think about sometimes! You can't really take them out of the bookcases, unless J is with you - well, practically, one could, but morally... If you actually want to study any of it, one should get it out with J and look at it in the reading room. Some of the medieval manuscripts (like this one) are breathtaking to study in person...

Saying that, especially downstairs, you do tend to just rummage... I love all the pastel sketches of fellows done for their portraits, and there is one particular archive that I have been allowed huge free reign with, that I won't tell you about just yet, as it's going to form the basis of a project that I'll be publishing on the blog in a couple of months time! Let's just say, it's awesome... Well worth the suspense... Honest! :-D 

Sigh... So much for today's work ethic! I should probably go and get on with my case studies now. Must stop thinking about old books with no relavence to dissertation and start thinking about the ones in front of me!!! ;-D

Xxxc

P.s. Please bear with me while I catch up on my several hundred googlereader posts and everyone's lovely comments! And, as ever, photos by Alex Tatton-Brown, and thanks to JH.

38 comments:

Couture Carrie said...

Oh I just adore old libraries and books! These pics are amazing. And of course I love your outfit - that long skirt is so chic!

xoxox,
CC

DaisyChain said...

Welcome back beautiful

Francheska L said...

Dont you be "back-ish"
be BACK!!!!!!
I understand school important! But so is this!
It is an actual way of living... blogging!
which is quite... sad? Butt so what right??
:D

- You look amazing in that outfit!!!!!!
So bohemian... spiritual but sophisticated at the same time ... :)
Xx

Winnie said...

Wow you're so lucky to be able to use such a great library. I take it you're at Cambridge? You look fab in your outfit, great for a day doing reasearch and searching through old books :)

By the way the church from my post is St Alphege in Solihull.

FASHION CHALET said...

This is such a beautiful setting for the elegant/Old Hollywood look you have going. I adore the whole thing. :)

And the adorable painted kitten below awwww <3

Thanks for the comments, sweetie. xx

xo!

Beauty Standard Blog said...

That place looks amazing! Quick question, where's that?!
I can't get over how gorgeous that long skirt looks on you.

VanessasRunway said...

This looks like one fun photo shoot! I love the smell of the library - am I the only one?!

Putri Erdisa Januarti said...

oh wow.. i love your outfits! :D
i think te mix-match is so damn perfect! lovely.. x)

anyway, thanks for comment in my blog.
up for exchange link maybe? :)
xoxo

erika sorocco said...

This post is so much fun. Wonderful clothes; old books; spiral staircases. Now I'm dying to go to a library. If only we had libraries as elegant and picture-perfect as this where I live! :)

Unknown said...

Ugh those photos are so pretty. All of it is just so pretty.

Anyway, link trade?

The Sydney Girl said...

youuu take some AMAZING photos! i looooooooooove the outfit! the colours go so well and really compliment your figure! x

h said...

great pics and outfit again and again:)

paanie said...

that skirt moves like a dream. and what an interesting library experience!

Disneyrollergirl.net said...

Wow, now that's a library! PS, you've been tagged:
http://disneyrollergirl.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-blog-spot.html

Ella Gregory said...

The yellow with the grey looks amazing.

Geri Wu said...

wow the library looks amazing! so does your belt :)

xx, Geri
http://lovegeri.blogspot.com

Doshii said...

i love your skirt!! You have beautifull long hair... envious

Grace said...

Gives me chills! I have a thing for libraries. And that one is beautiful! Thank you for sharing my dear.

I don't know if you do link exchanges, but regardless I'm linking you!

Gracie.

Unknown said...

I love the photos in the library, you look so pretty!

Laura Pulgarin said...

ughhh i love your skirt like madly

gennie said...

omg that library looks so cool!!!

that's so funny that you like to watch golf! Maybe the first girl ever that I know who enjoys it.. you would get along really well with my dad. haha. He installed TWO high-definition screens in their house so that he can watch his golf like that. LOL

Alice X said...

you seriously pull off a maxi skirt so well, i could never!

alicexinwonderland.blogspot.com

this wheel's on fire said...

gorgeous photos!

Hazel said...

what a kickass library!!!
the photos are awesome

GraceFace said...

I now have a sudden urge to go hang around old libraries...

indigotangerine said...

old libraries are the best, and i love love LOVE that gray skirt. so chic.
-indigo

Chrissy said...

Great pictures! I wish we had a library like that around here.

Diana said...

As a librarian, this is pure eyegasm.

Lovely blog by the way.

Mariona said...

Absolutely Gorgeous belt !!!!

. said...

Wow the library looks amazing, I would love to get lost in there. Your outfit is tres chic :)

Anonymous said...

Oh I am so into gray and yellow right now. Love the outfit especially the belt!

3253128 said...

wow your university is amazing. lol much nicer than mine.
what uni are you at?

Anonymous said...

This library is absolutely beautiful!!!! So Harry Potter. :) I would spend my days in there if i could. Wow! So in love!

kadler said...

The yellow and grey combo is stunning, especially against the library backdrop.

Ane said...

fab skirt...im lookin for a really nice long black one

tis serendipity said...

Woww I love reading your thoughts about the cambridge library... it really sounds incredible. I'd love to be in a place steeped in such history where almost every book is a treasure from a past century... Lovely photos! I love the last one with the spiral staircase showing. And your FC long skirt does have a somewhat medieval feel to it =)

Zarna said...

great outfit, i love your blog!

check mine out if you have a chance,
zarna
http://zarnasrunway.blogspot.com

Ringa Dinga Boing Boing said...

You are dressing so cute.
Love'em at first sight

May we exchange links?
lokitamardanti.blogspot.com
Check out mine,and i'll be thankfull
:)