The Priaulx Library, Guernsey

WARRO! The Priaulx Library will be open to visitors and researchers tomorrow, Saturday 6 June. In addition to our facillities for researching family history and local Guernsey culture and heritage, we have a special display about local Guernésiais poet, Denys Corbet, who was born 200 years ago. We've focused on a poem about the Déhus dolmen, near to where he was born in the Vale, and the legendary 'Mermaids of Petit Bot', a story told to Denys by local man Matthew Tostevin in the 1860s. We've created a new Word Search for children all about the Mermaids - it's in Guernsey French, lots of fun and comes with a sticker when you have completed it! There is free parking on site for visitors

Looking to do something different this Saturday? Dive into local history with a free tour of the Priaulx Library! Find out about the Library's fascinating story and get hands on with a selection of our special collections exploring Guernsey's relationship with the sea.

Tours will be running at 10.30am and 2.30pm. Tickets are free, but booking is essential at https://priaulxlibrarytour.eventbrite.co.uk

New digital archive for Jersey research

GOOD NEWS! Many thanks to Bailiwick Express and All Island Media for their generosity in making their newspapers available to visitors to the Priaulx Library, to Jack and Alex for facilitating it, and to Laura for launching it along with our Chief Librarian, Sue. Bailiwick Express’ archive will be invaluable for research

(Bailiwick) Express delivery for Priaulx Library - Bailiwick Express News Guernsey Guernsey’s national history library – the Priaulx Library – is a wonderful old building crammed with leather-bound books, microfilm of parish records, and local newspapers going back hundreds of years. It has also now added a less dusty digital publication to its collection – Bailiwick Expre...

The historic manufacture of the colour green also affects historic libraries and museums in the form of arsenic. In the 18-19th centuries green book covers, wallpapers and even dress fabrics could contain arsenic. Until recently, Napoleon was thought to have been poisoned by the arsenic in his bedroom wallpaper, fiendishly orchestrated by his British captors, but it turns out that he died from cancer, that arsenic was everywhere during his lifetime and his exposure to it was long-term. It was even in medicines. However, it seems from the Getty’s fascinating article that artists fortunately found other ways to create the green pigment they needed.

Through time, the color green in art has been made from the copper-derived mineral called malachite, the pale gray-green glaze called celadon, or verdigris—made by hanging copper plates over a hot vinegar bath.

Green has also symbolized everything from life, rejuvenation, rebirth, fertility, and more.

Curious? Learn more about the history of the color green:
https://www.getty.edu/news/color-series-history-of-green/

Leer en español:
https://www.getty.edu/news/el-verde-siempre-perdura/

WHEN IS A BISCUIT NOT A BISCUIT? When it's a roll, of course! Guernsey biscuits are round, soft white rolls. They are ordinary bap size now, but they were originally as big as a plate. Whatever their size, they are delicious! It's National Biscuit Day, so here's a recipe from the 1870s: fluffy buttermilk biscuits from Louisa Guille's hand-written recipe book, in the Priaulx Library collection. And yes, there is an ingredient there that sounds a bit alarming

Get to know the Priaulx Library with our free tours! Saturday 6 June 10.30-11.00 a.m. and 14.30-15.00 p.m. Tickets are free but numbers are limited! Get them from Eventbrite (below):