Male and female using a computer.
You can now access electronic legal deposit journal issues, journal articles and books catalogued before October 2023 using the PCs in our Reading Rooms.
Find out more about what content is available and how to access it here: link.bl.uk/9kt
Masthead for The Standard of Freedom, which is presented as a ribbon curled around its moto. Its moto is: Political, Commercial and Religious Freedom, which appears on a banner in the middle of the title. This is volume one, issue one, for Saturday, July 1st, 1848 and was priced at four pence halfpenny.
Today's #MastheadMonday is The Standard of Freedom (1848-51). It was published by John Cassell as a family newspaper aimed at those with a reformist mindset, advocating 'Political, Commercial & Religious Freedom'. Digitised by the BL & free-to-view: www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/stand...
Four versions of Masthead for Bell’s Penny Dispatch. They use different fonts, layouts, and different subtitles.
Today’s #MastheadMonday offering, Bell’s Penny Dispatch (1841-1842), could not settle on a title or a masthead for any length of time. It was packed with sensational news and serialised fiction. Digitised by the BL & free-to-view on the BNA: www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/bells...
The proprietor of the Court Gazette accused the New Court Gazette of deceiving readers into thinking it was a continuation of the former publication. This was not without foundation - the 'New' in the title became smaller as time passed, & in 1841 it was dropped altogether. 2/2
Masthead for the New Court Gazette featuring a stylised version of the UK coat of arms, with a lion and a unicorn. This is for the Saturday, 11th January 1840 issue, and was priced at 8 pence.
Following on from last week, today’s #MastheadMonday is the New Court Gazette (1840-46), a society paper: www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/new-c... It was founded after the close of the Court Gazette (1838-40; 1841) with the same publisher & many shared contributors. 1/2
A wonderful day visiting the National Newspaper Building at Boston Spa, and all the incredible people who help to process and look after the thousands of newspapers that arrive at the Library every year.
@britishlibrary.bsky.social
#nationalnewspaperbuilding
#nationalnewspapercollection
Up for a two day visit to Boston Spa to talk and see all things newspaper. Go to check into our hotel in York and find we’re opposite the old Yorkshire Herald building.
A few months into its life it was purchased by George Glenny: a keen gardener, a serial publisher of periodicals and someone who loved a good falling out. Dr David Marsh has written a great blog about him: thegardenhistory.blog/2018/07/21/g...
I’ll continue The Court Gazette saga next week.
Masthead for The Court Gazette:and Fashionable Guide, featuring a coat of arms with a lion and a unicorn. This was volume one, issue one, for Saturday 7th April 1838, and was priced at six pence.
Today's #MastheadMonday is the Court Gazette (1838-40; 1841): a society newspaper that became embroiled in the disputed world of C19th horticulture. Plagued by injunctions & bankruptcy, it eventually had its title stolen by a rival. It’s free-to-view www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/court...
The publication was only produced in London. I’m not sure if it covered companies outside of the City, but you can have a look to check.
Masthead for the City of London Trade Protection Circular, that features the City of London coat of arms. It was for volume one, issue one, Saturday 15th April 1848.
The City of London Trade Protection Circular (1848-49) is today's #MastheadMonday. A specialist newspaper, it acted as an early credit-check and information sharing tool. It was published for much longer as a private circular. It’s free-to-view here: www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/city-...
Masthead for the Bee-Hive, featuring an image of a beehive and representations of various trades and industry.
It's #MastheadMonday again, & today we're featuring The Bee-Hive (1861-1878), an important trades-union publication. It fought for improved workers rights, but became embroiled in the fractious politics of the trades-union movement. Free to view here: www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/beehive
To celebrate the BNA reaching 100 million pages, my colleague Claire O'Halloran has written a blog sharing some of our highlights. A huge achievement-well done to everyone involved at @britishlibrary.bsky.social & @findmypast.bsky.social Here’s to the next 100 million! www.bl.uk/stories/blog...
Do you know who the copyright would sit with?
It’s certainly something that could be considered. It’s a little more complicated because of copyright, and the BL also doesn’t hold a full run. But definitely something we can look at.
Today the British Newspaer Archive reached 100 million pages! What an epic achievement! So many interesting pages to explore. And we’re not stopping there the BL & FMP will continue to digitise, so here’s to the next 100 million!
blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2026/02/16/c...
Highly illustrated masthead for Illustrated London Life. It’s issue number 2, March 18th 1843 and was priced at three pence.
#MastheadMonday is back with the Illustrated London Life, which lasted only 23 issues (Apr-Aug 1843). It was 1 of many attempts to capitalise on the success of the Illustrated London News (1842-2003). Digitised by the British Library & free-to-view: www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/illus...
The front page of the Daily Graphic newspaper published Saturday 25 August, 1917, featuring portraits of 'Women in the Order of the British Empire', including Lady Byron, the honourable Mrs Alfred Lyttelton, Her Majesty the Queen.
Apply for our PhD placement scheme to get involved in extraordinary research at the Library. There are eight available placements exploring a variety of themes including war poetry, 21st-century digital tools, illustrated newspapers and decarbonisation.
Find out more: link.bl.uk/PhDPlacements
Huge congratulations!
The British Library’s PhD placement scheme for 26/27 is now open. My team are offering an exciting placement aiming to raise the profile of our illustrated newspaper collection: www.bl.uk/services/res...
Masthead for The Weekly Chronicle. This is issue 958, for Saturday 6th January 1855, and is priced at six pence.
It's #MastheadMonday again, & today we feature The Weekly Chronicle (1836-67). A liberal newspaper, in the 1850s it had links to the Temperance Movement, via its publisher William Tweedie. Digitised by the British Library & free to view: www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/weekl...
Masthead for the True Sun
Today's #MastheadMonday is the True Sun (1832-37). Founded by Patrick Grant due to his feud with Murdo Young, who he believed had swindled him out of ownership of the Sun newspaper. Charles Dickens was briefly the paper's Parliamentary reporter. www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/true-...
Masthead for The Censor; or Satirical Times. This is issue number one, Saturday, January 4th, 1846. It was priced at seven pence.
Today's #MastheadMonday is The Censor (1846). This pro-Free Trade newspaper, used satire as a tool to bring about reform, particularly focussing its attacks on gambling and gaming-houses. It lasted only 4 issues. Digitised by the BL & free to view: www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/censo...
I’m interested in all the stuff around newspaper advertising, so is opening up some new resources for me!
Image of the Newspaper File Department at T.B Browne’s Advertising Office. It shows numerous shelves piled with newspapers, and various men reading and sorting them.
White searching for something else for @liamsims.bsky.social I stumbled across T.B Browne’s Provincial Newspaper Circular. It has the most wonderful illustrations of Browne’s advertising offices. The information these advertising guides & directories provide for newspaper historians is invaluable.
Thanks Liam. I’d hoped to look at the ABC Index to the Advertising Press today, but a post-cyber attack catalogue glitch means it will be tomorrow. I’ve checked T.B Browne’s Provincial Newspaper Circular, but despite being very interesting, it’s not that! The hunt continues…
I’ve ordered a couple of things to look at, but it would be great to see a few more pictures.
Do you have more images or reasons to suspect 1881? I’m happy to call some stuff up to look if that helps? Browne had his own advertising agency and produced a few guides and circulars. Feel free to DM with more info.
Masthead for the Town and Country Daily Newspaper. It shows issue one, from Monday July 14, 1873.
Today’s #MastheadMonday offering is the Town & Country Daily Newspaper (1873). It ran from July-Sept, before merging into the Sun (1792-1871; 1873-76), which itself had newly emerged from a merger with the Central Press (1861-1871). Free to view: www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/town-...
I don’t think the colour lasted very long (as was so often the case). But would need to go back and check.