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Old Paper Roots: How to Grow a Library

The Old Library, St John's College, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 1TP

  • 14 Sep 2024
  • In person
  • Pre-booking not required

St John’s College, alma mater of the great botanist Erasmus Darwin, invites you to the stunning 17th-century Old Library for an exhibition on paper and plants, held within a veritable forest of oak bookcases.

The beautiful smell that comes from centuries-old books is the aroma, in part, of slowly decaying paper: of plant matter having a long life after death. St John’s College, alma mater of the great botanist Erasmus Darwin, invites you to the stunning 17th-century Old Library for an exhibition on paper and plants, held within a veritable forest of oak bookcases.

Encompassing depictions and samples of botanical life ranging from religious symbolism to pressed flowers, items on display will include medieval manuscripts, rare printed books, and select contents of a 1740s ‘materia medica’ cabinet. We will be joined by the Cambridge Colleges’ Conservation Consortium, who will offer a show-and-tell experience about the different materials and techniques that go into growing a book.

Please note that the Library is, unfortunately, accessible only via stairs. An online version of the exhibition will follow.

Timings & Tours

Saturday 14 September:
1000-1600

Location & directions

The Old Library, St John's College, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 1TP

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:
Pre-booking not required

Accessibility details

Partial access - please contact us for details

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