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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 1h

A busy page from a 1200's manuscript copy of Aristotle's 'Sophistici Elenchi' - Sophistical refutations. It was translated by Boethius. This copy was used by a Dominican friar called Thomas Palmar who lived in the late 14 early 15th Centuries (F66 f139).

Two diagrams in red and brown ink in the margins. Text is a central column. Very detailed notes in both left and right hand margins of the pages. Another medieval hand has made a note at the base.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 5d

This is part of the cathedral organ located in the Quire area. It's twin is on the opposite wall. They replaced the old organ in 2008. Have a great weekend!

cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 5d

A map of Gaul in Ancient Roman times recently donated to the library collection. This map was printed in c.1815.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 5d

Thank you to everyone who has been on a library tour this week. This is an 1100's illuminated letter at the start of something called "Opusculum de dubiis in evangeliis" (WCL Q29 f.64r)

cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 5d

Last week someone kindly donated a small collection of old photos. One was to do with the cathedral. Many others were clearly from elsewhere in the country. I am not sure which church this is from. Date probably 1900-1920's.

cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 5d

A fragment of what is thought to be from a philosophy text from the 14th century. You can see the bird on the branch in the margin. This was found in one of the post medieval bindings years ago and another fragment is also thought to be from the same manuscript.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 5d

From a book of English legal statutes. This manuscript was copied in the 14th century and used by an English lawyer, possibly in Herefordshire. This page is for a Statute of Westminster. (WCL Q36 f32r)

cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 12d

A Queen and a Bishop keep silent watch in the military chapel. The amazing skill and attention to detail of the stonemasons always impresses me.

A carved head of a medieval queen with crown and head dress and a bishop with a beard and mitre are carved into the top of a stone pillar. Above them is a carved arch of bands with a small amount of carved foliage decoration as well.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 12d

A page from the Cathedral Almoner's register. It recorded the donations of land or property people gave to the Almoner. This helped the cathedral and enabled it to distribute alms to the poor. Notice the tiny cartoon creature in the top left corner (WCL A9 - late 1200's to early 1500's).

The text is across the whole page. At the top is the Latin name for the city of Worcester to identify which section of the register this refers to. In the top left corner is a doodle of a tiny creature looking at the title. The title is in a large block font with a hatched light brown background.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 12d

This ornate illuminated letter with decoration and a second bird-like artwork lower down the column opens the second part of Thomas de Bradwardine's theology book against the Pelagian heresy. Thomas lived in the 14th Century.

Artwork extends down the left hand column of text. The illuninated letter is maroon with white dots and a blue and gold background. Below is another bit of artwork of a red headed bird with a blue and gold body and foliage for a tail. The right hand margin of the page has a few medieval notes.

cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 16d

A huge letter M with a foliage flourish in a page from a mid-1100's manuscript copy of Jerome's Commentary on the Book of Isaiah. This may have been produced at Worcester (WCL F82 f.7r)

The text is in two columns on the page. The scribe has drawn a huge red letter M in red in the left hand column two thirds of the way down. It has a white zig-zag stripe in the middle of the red. The left hand line of the letter M descends down the column and ends in a red and blue foliage decoration

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 19d

The conservators were here today working on Tudor documents. This cathedral annual account document has suffered from the very black iron-based ink destroying the paper.

The document rests on a table surrounded by the conservators' tools and equipment. There are no illustrations. The document is made of paper.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 21d

A dragon and an illuminated letter from a 1300's canon law book. William of Pagula's "Summa Summarum" was owned by one of the Worcester monks (WCL F131 f90v).

A green dragon travels down the centre of the page towards an illuminated letter in maroon and blue with a little man inside it. The decoration continues down the centre of the page in alternating bands of maroon and blue with foliage at the end. The text is in two columns.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 22d

A huge thank you to the cheerful Tudor House Museum Worcester team who visited today. This is a 14th century manuscript copy of Aristotle's Metaphysics translated by William of Moerbeke (WCL F169).

The text is in two columns. It has a blue and red alternating border. The large initial letter O is red and blue with red, blue and white infilling. Red and blue flourishes extend from the border into the margin. There are some notes in the margin presumably written by one of the monks.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · 23d

This week's Medieval artwork is a strange creature in the inner margin of a 14th century manuscript copy of Aristotle's Book on Physics with a commentary by Averroes (WCL F96).

The doodle has a head of a greyhound type dog and a furry body, a strange tail and two legs with hooves but no arms. It is looking at the text in the inner margin of the manuscript page.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · Aug 29

In the Lady Chapel is the tomb of Bishop William de Blois (d.1236) but also on the wall beside him is the memorial to Anne Walton the wife of author Izaak Walton. Izaak composed the wording himself.

The medieval effigy is on the floor. It is at the east end of the Lady Chapel near the altar which cannot be seen in the photo. On the wall beside Bishop Blois is the memorial tablet of Anne Walton. The wall has black Purbeck marble shafts and pale brown stone, with carved decorations. A stand of fresh flowers is also near the tomb. The floor is mainly stone and old black and white marble tiles.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · Aug 28

A lady's face with hat decorates part of this 1200's manuscript copy of Gregory IX's Decretals with a commentary by Bernard de Botone of Parma. This copy was made in England and used by someone in Wales at some point before coming to Worcester (WCL F150 f36r).

The doodle of the face is next to part of a decretal in the centre of the page. It has been drawn in a brown ink and tinted with yellow. The commentary surrounding it is by the medieval lawyer Bernard. Capital letters are in dark blue with red decorative flourishes or red and blue

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · Aug 27

A blue and white and red creature with gold leaf in the border of a 1400's missal. A missal was a liturgical manuscript.

A creature in blue, white and red with gold leaf is in the right hand border of a missal. There are also blue, red and white leaves in the border artwork and more gold leaf.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · Aug 27

From the cathedral library's music collection- G. F. Handel's Messiah.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · Aug 27

King James VI and the I from John Rushworth's Historical Collections volume 1 published in 1659.

King James Vi and I has a large black hat and a large ruff around his neck. His engraved portrait is in a border giving his titles and has the Royal Coat of arms.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · Aug 27

One of the doors into the medieval cloister from the nave at Worcester Cathedral.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · Aug 27

This eye-catching bit of artwork down the centre of the page and into the lower border is in a manuscript of Sermons on the Sunday Epistles from the 1200's or the 1300's. It was made in England (WCL Q17)

The text is divided into two columns. The start of a new sermon in near the bottom of the second column. A large blue capital letter signals this. it has made red and blue flourishes which spin off it up and down between the two columns of text and into the lower border.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · Aug 13

This is one of the monastic kitchener's account rolls from 1501. The monk was Humphrey Grafton and the image shows the sections for the Kitchen expenses and the staff wages for catering for c.40 monks, as well as guests, and the monks' servants.

The account roll is made of parchment. The monk has written his accounts in sections in the middle of the parchment. each section has a total. Each section also has a heading located in the left hand margin.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · Aug 13

A nice capital letter P from an 1100's lawbook: Roland's "Stroma". Roland was a canon law expert in the 12th Century. This manuscript copy was probably made in England. (WCL F70 f46v).

The text is written in two columns. A large capital letter P in blue with red and green leaves and stems decorating the letter is in the centre of the left hand column. There are no marginal notes.

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cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social @cathedrallibrarian.bsky.social · Aug 13

The John Chapel window with scenes of the life of John the Baptist was commissioned by Admiral R. F. Britten in memory of his parents in 1896.

The image shows the stained glass window in the late afternoon summer sunshine. In front is a wooden altar and the floor is black and white marble tiles. On the left hand side of the image is a wooden screen with glass windows and a medieval arch and pillar.