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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · 1d

Join us for a series of Gallery tours with the AUZBS "Spiders, Bats, Crows, Cats" 🕷️🦇🐈⬛ linking zoology tours with "Fear & Fascination: A Gothic exhibition".

Wednesdays 15th, 22nd and 29th October 13:00-13:30, The Sir Duncan Rice Library, Gallery.

University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Aug 1

Today is the anniversary of horror author M.R. James's birth (1862-1936). His stories of antiquarians beset by supernatural horrors feature in our exhibition Fear and Fascination, open now at the Sir Duncan Rice Library.

Find out more: buff.ly/s4DYTaH

A man examines a crucifix while reading a book in a room dark except for the light from a reading lamp. Unbeknownst to him, a grotesque face with large eyes lurks behind him watching.

A figure wrapped in a bedsheet assaults a cowering elderly man.

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 31

When you can't decide which online exhibition to start with - get another screen!

Browse our online exhibitions: buff.ly/H9yEg1Y

Photo of a desktop full of screens, monitors, laptops, tablets all showing different online exhibitions

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 29

Today is #InternationalTigerDay

Rani the tiger was seized at Aberdeen Airport under CITES legislation in 1996, by HM Customs and Excise. Although she was probably a zoo animal, the specimen was mounted in Deeside, and was being exported to the Middle East without the necessary permits.

A very pretty regal looking taxidermy tiger in a display case

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 18

Join us tomorrow, for a map making workshop as part of the Festival of the Sea.

There will be historical maps on display to inspire you, drawing materials and guides so you can create your own map - or add to a collaborative map.

The Library has pretty good air conditioning!

buff.ly/9D5D3nG

Snippets of two historical maps and a hand drawn sailing ship

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 15

Ever wondered why some of the earliest maps and atlases feature fantastical sea creatures?

Chet van Duzer, historian of cartography, will be giving an online talk on Tuesday 22nd of July about these legendary creatures and what they reveal about early geographic thought and nautical navigation.

Festival of the Sea: Online Talk - Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps with Chet van Duzer

Ever wondered why some of the earliest maps and atlases feature fantastical sea creatures?

abdn.io

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 15

It's week 2 of summer at the Zoology Museum and a huge well done to everyone who contributed to creating a very colourful giant spider crab in Week 1! We're starting a new Giant Spider Crab this week so get down to the Zoology Museum and get colouring!

An animal skeleton looking at a colourful crab

Coloured in sheets that make up the crab

A fresh crab up with just a few panels coloured in

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 13

Today is international rock day.

This Jadeite stone axe head was discovered in Strathdon, Aberdeenshire and dates from 4000 BC-2400 BC. It was recently discovery that the jadeite was quarried on the slopes of Monte Viso in the Italian alps, travelling almost 1000 miles 5000 years ago!

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 12

On this day in 1824 The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner was published. This copy, in our exhibition "Fear & Fascination" had some skilled conservation work done by our skilled paper conservator. You wouldn't know from looking but it has had an entirely new board made for it.

close up of the title page of justified sinner

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 7

Today is #WorldChocolateDay

This is a chocolate whisk or molinillo [ABDUA: 8870] from Bolivia. This type of molinillo was invented by Spanish colonisers in Central and South America around the 1600s. It is is spun between ones hands and into a pot of chocolate to froth or mix chocolate drinks.

a long, handcarved wooden whisk. There are small holes at the bottom of the whisk, presumably to allow for frothing. There is a long handle, which is used to spin between the hands

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 4

Our Zoology skeletons have got some new entertainment installed for the holidays, come along to help colour it in and give them something nice to look at!

The Zoology Museum will be open 10-4 Monday-Friday through the school holidays.

Photo of skeletons looking at an empty black and white colour in paper of a crab

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 2

We spotted them in use on @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social Instagram story today!

A graduation ceremony walking out of a hall. The two leaders a carrying a silver mace each.

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 2

Congratulations to everyone graduating from @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social this week!

You might spot these maces being used during graduation ceremonies. Left is the King's College Mace (ABDUA:36876) made in 1650. Right is the Marischal College Mace (ABDUA:36877) from c.1660.

Silver mace. The bowl is embossed with the College arms and those of its founder, Bishop Elphinstone. The head is formed as an imperial crown supporting an orb and a cross over a plate with the Royal Arms.

Looks almost identical to the other mace but a lighter silver colour

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 1

Red - Physical Disabilities
This is made by a piece of red tartan carpet that came from Balmoral. It was specially woven for Balmoral and was in Queen Victoria's bedroom.
ABDUA:64518

A square of red tartan carpet. There is also some Green, blue and yellow in it.

University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 1

Yellow - Neurodiversity
This is a slice from a piece of glass slag, likely Roman. Enormous slabs of glass would be produced in furnaces, broken into chunks and transported to workshops to be made into vessels.
ABDUA:60632

A piece of waste glass with a shiny top made of mostly yellow with some blue

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 1

White - Invisible and Undiagnosed Disabilities
This is from an oil painting - ‘Winter’ by Joseph Farquharson (1846-1935), a Scottish artist well known for his snowy winter landscapes.
ABDUA:33001

A painting of a bleak winter landscape covered in snow with some sheep in a field

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 1

Blue - Mental Illness
Egyptian fertility amulet of Taweret. Taweret is a blending of lion, hippo, crocodile, and human attributes. The three animals were some of the fiercest species found in ancient Egypt.
ABDUA:20014

a statue of a creature with human and animal parts

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 1

Green - Sensory Disabilities
This is a from the body of a model of Watt's steam engine for pumping water. This is the same stream engine that fired the industrial revolution.
ABDNP:200045

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 1

Charcoal - Mourning
Represented here by an Argillite plate. The base is elaborately carved with circles, tobacco leaves, diamonds and curved lines. The negative space is patterned in relief with small raised diamond shapes.
ABDUA:5571

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 1

Happy #DisabilityPrideMonth from all of us at UoA Collections! Here's a disability pride flag made from images of our collection to celebrate!

Find out where the colours come from in the thread below:

flag with black background and 5 stripes diagonally across in green, blue, white, yellow and red made from items in the collections

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jul 1

As part of the Festival of the Sea we're running a map making workshop on the 12th July. There will be historical maps on display to inspire you, and drawing materials and guides so you can create your own map - or add to a collaborative map.

Details here: buff.ly/dyxmPBG

Map with illustrations of ships attacking a coastal fort with cannon fire.

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Reposted by University of Aberdeen Collections

Fishbourne Roman Palace @romanpalace.bsky.social · Jun 27

🤣🚨ATTENTION!!🚨🤣

@traceynormanauthor.bsky.social knitted us a museum environmental monitor and it's the best thing that's happened to us EVER! 😍🤩

On the left, a small yellow plastic rectangular device with googly eyes on it. On the right a larger version, but knitted. Our life is complete.

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jun 27

Integrated Pest Management allows heritage sites to monitor and manage pests to prevent damage to the collections.

We admire and appreciate the important role that wee beasties play in our eco system, but we don't want them munching on our historical collections if possible!

#InsectWeek

Two volunteers, one using a magnifier to check and pest traps and the other with a clipboard

#InsectWeek25 Day 5: Pest Traps with a photo of two slaters in a trap

Integrated Pest Management allows heritage sites to monitor and manage pests to prevent damage to the collections.

Two of our volunteers have the glamorous and important job of assisting collection staff to check and record the pest traps this week. Monitoring the traps alerts us to any infestations that could damage items.

We admire and appreciate the important role that wee beasties play in our eco system, but we don't want them munching on our historical collections if possible!

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University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jun 26

This post has made us start singing "I was quite notorious for catapulting venomous snakes at Rome's enormous crowds, oh how they fled..."

youtu.be/qWwAC9dOTCE?...

The Evil Emperors Song 🎶 | Rotten Romans | Horrible Histories

YouTube video by Horrible Histories

youtu.be

University of Aberdeen Collections @uoacollections.bsky.social · Jun 26

These watercolour paintings of insects were made by Sri Lankan artists William and George de Alwis around 1834.

Their drawings were considered so true to form that between 1849 and 1880 the Governor of Ceylon employed them to draw the moths and butterflies of the country from nature.

#InsectWeek

watercolour painting of a green grasshopper

#InsectWeek25 Day 4: The de Alwis brothers

Watercolour insect illustrations with text: These watercolour paintings of insects were made by Sri Lankan artists William and George de Alwis around 1834 while Sri Lanka was under colonial rule. The artists' father Haramanis de Alwis Seneviratne (1792-1894), worked as a botanical illustrator for the Botanic Gardens and by his retirement had illustrated over 2000 plants!

Watercolour insect illustrations with text: The brothers drawings were considered so true to form. that between 1849 and 1880 the Governor of Ceylon employed them both to undertake a project to draw the moths and butterflies of the country from nature. They also went on to provide many other illustrations for authors publishing on the Lepidoptera of the time.

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