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Reading List | The Bayeux Tapestry and the making of the Middle Ages
Mark Cottle has given many brilliant talks at The Morrab Library, and other venues locally, on subjects ranging from illuminated manuscripts to Arctic exploration. He always provides a Reading List for his fascinating talks and study days – and they formed part of the inspiration for our new series of ‘Reading List’ blogs published on our website following each of our Library talks.
Mark ran a Study Morning in the Reading Room on Saturday 14th September on the subject of the Bayeux Tapestry and the making of the Middle Ages.
The Bayeux Tapestry captures one of the great turning points in English history. William’s victory at Hastings, his reign and those of his two sons, William Rufus and Henry I were transformational. In just 69 years the foundations of medieval England were laid: feudalism, knights, castles, the Exchequer, great cathedrals. With the help of course files the team looked at a remarkable period somewhat overshadowed today by the Plantagenets and Tudors.
With the help of Harry Spry-Leverton, our Honorary Librarian at The Morrab Library, we have put together a display of some the books on Mark’s list, which will be on display for the next few weeks in the Reading Room.
I.Here are some of the titles we hold on the subject that are available to borrow, and their Dewey decimal number to help you find them – please do ask at the reception desk if you can’t find the book you’re looking for and we’ll do our best to find it. Or email the library (enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk) if you’d like to reserve any.
F Barlow : William Rufus : 942.021
T Baker : The Normans : 942.02
D Douglas : William the Conqueror : R942.021
HWC Davies : England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings : 942.02
J Gillingham : William II : 942.021
C Hicks : The Bayeux Tapestry : Second hand shelf
C W Hollister : Henry I : R942.021
D Howarth : 1066 The Year of the conquest : 942.02
J Messent : The Bayeux Tapestry Embroiderers’ Story : 942.021
G Slocombe : Sons of the conqueror : R942.021
L Thorpe : The Bayeux Tapestry : R942.021
C Tyreman : Who’s Who in Early Medieval England : R942.02
D Wilson : The Bayeux Tapestry : 942.021 (Reference only)
The following suggestions are not currently part of the library’s collection but they may be available to borrow from the public library. If you have a copy that you would like to donate to us then please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk.
R Bartlett : England under the Norman and Angevin Kings.
R Bartlett : The Normans (DVD)
E Fernie : The Architecture of Norman England
E King : Henry I
E King : Medieval England
M Morris : The Norman Conquest
M Morris : William I
L Musset : The Bayeux Tapestry
Last month, we shared a reading list to accompany Dr Serena Trowbridge’s ‘Stories of the Stones’ talk featuring fiction, children’s novels and non-fiction available to borrow from the Library. You can catch up on this Reading List, and others, over on our blog
The Morrab Library Poetry Group
The Poetry Group is now entering its seventh consecutive year and there are a limited number of places for new members starting in September.
The group meets on alternate Thursdays at 1.30pm in The Morrab Library to read and discuss poems by a variety of poets, chosen by a member of the group.
The first session of the new term will be on Thursday 26th September and the poet will be A.E. Stallings. Subsequent poets this term include Spender, Grigson and C Day Lewis.
Please contact the Group’s convenor, George Care, by email (mlpoetrygroup@gmail.com) if you would like to find out more information and/or join the group.
My Family and Other Animals – Meet our new artists-in-residence
September will see us welcome artists Philip Riley and Nadia Peters to the library, where they will explore the library’s relationship with nature, taking inspiration from our historic book collection.
Philip and Nadia work collaboratively with mixed media, inspired by their surroundings and incorporating found objects. From the 16th-25th September they will aim to use our historic book collection as a visual and literary starting point for the creation of sculptural work. They will focus particularly on the animal images from the work of Swiss naturalist, Conrad Gesner and his important 16th century encyclopedia Historia Animalium, (you can read a library blog about Gesner here). Found organic and vintage material collected locally will be incorporated into their sculptural response to the library building, historic artefacts and the location itself.
As well as the opportunity to meet the artists each day of the residency as they work on their creations, Philip and Nadia will present a talk about how the library and its collections has influenced and inspired their work on the 25th September – more details to follow.
The artists will also host workshops at the local St Levan’s primary school, where students will have the opportunity to work with Philip and Nadia to create images based on the fantastic creatures depicted in Historia Animalium, which will subsequently be displayed at the library on the day of the talk.
We look forward to welcoming them and introducing you to their work.
