Exhibition Case
The Library now owns a special display case, allowing us to install a rotating exhibition of rare and important treasures from our book and archive collections. These are usually kept locked away in secure and environmentally stable storage. You’ll find the case on the first floor at the top of the staircase.
We wanted to find a way to ensure that our members and visitors not only know about the special collections we hold in the library, but are able to see and learn about them too.
This new display case came to us via a bequest from the late Dr. Stephen Clark, much-loved life member, volunteer and former Trustee, who passed away on the 2nd of March, 2022. Steve loved The Morrab Library, volunteering for reception desk duty, and joining the library’s Book Selection Committee, as well as being a founding member of the library’s Poetry Group. His fresh-baked cakes were legendary. You can read more about Steve here.
Members and researchers are welcome to view the rare books and archive collectons, by appointment. While we wait for our listing of rare books to be digitally catalogued through our library management system (KOHA) in the next few years, titles are currently searchable in our card index.
Many of our archives holding are now searchable online through the National Archives Discovery Catalogue. As our volunteers complete the project of adding all of our archive records there, a physical catalogue of the remaining resources is available. Please ask staff for assistance.
Read on to find out more about the current and past treasures on display:
Current display:
24th August – 2026
The third display takes you back to the 17th century, and a very special natural history book:
Conrad Gesner (1516–1565), Historia Animalium, 2nd edition, 1617-1620. Volumes 1 and 2. (E596)
Read the blog here.
Past displays:
24th March – 24th July 2026
Our biggest dilemma was deciding which of our collections we would display first, from a choice of thousands. We settled on Henry VIII’s Great Bible of 1539.
A donation to the library, not only is a significant historical work, it asks all sorts of questions about when it came to the library and from whom.
The Great Bible (London), 1539 (E220.5201)
Read our blog to find out more about this important work.
24th July 2026 – 24th August 2026
For over two centuries, our library collections have grown through donations, bequests and purchases, creating a somewhat serendipitous array of manuscripts, correspondence and volumes.
As a result, a number of notable people’s signatures have been discovered, and we exhibited signatures from Ernest Shackleton, Charlotte Bronte and William Ewart Gladstone.
Read the blog here.
