Swiss Rolls, Gooseberries and Hippos were all parts of the pre-fabricated Mulberry Harbours that were towed across the channel as part of the D-Day fleet, and constructed in situ on Gold and Omaha Beaches. Scotland played a large part in the production and testing of the Mulberry Harbours. Two Mulberry Harbours were built – Mulberry […]
Tag: National Library of Scotland
Doors Open Day: Through ‘The Void’ to Libberton’s Wynd
During Doors Open Day, we try to take visitors to hitherto unknown parts of the National Library building at George IV Bridge. ‘The Void’ is the final destination of our tours on Doors Open Day – but what is ‘The Void’? ‘The Void’ is effectively a sub-street space between the structures of the Library building […]
Doors Open Day: The Staircase Window by Helen Monro Turner
Following his unfortunate death, to ensure continuity in the Library project, Reginald Fairlie was succeeded as the Library’s architect by one of the partners in his architectural practice, Alexander Ritchie Conlon. Conlon’s fledgling career had been interrupted by the Second World War, during which he served as an Officer with the Royal Engineers’ bomb disposal. […]
Doors Open Day: The Sculptors
“While he chips away with his chisel the rest of the work on the building goes on round him. The rickety noise of cranes. The sharp rattle of drills. The clattering of bricks. And the clang of steel girders…” – The Edinburgh Evening Dispatch, 14th July, 1954. For several months in 1954 and 1955, the […]
Digitising the Library’s Maps
By: Gabi Migdalska (Specialist Digital Production Operator ) and Rosemary Hall (Maps Assistant) The National Library of Scotland holds well over 1.5 million maps and counting. The collection ranges from manuscripts to single fold-out maps in books to Ordnance Survey series containing 1000s of sheets. Holding such extensive collections puts the Library in a unique […]