Archive: 2014

1. Gertrude Neisen

   Sadly we had no response to our query last month asking for information about the mystery monkey woman at Belle Vue. This is a pity, as the prize was going...

   16th April 2014 • Read more

2. Space monkey

   More slightly worrying fun from the halcyon days before the invention of health and safety… This wonderful photograph is from the Belle Vue collection of Brian Selby, which he is...

   11th April 2014 • Read more

3. Worse ways to die…

     Among the items that we are getting ready for digitising as part of our Belle Vue project funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Collection Fund is a ledger containing reports...

   10th April 2014 • Read more

4. Up the chimney

   Keeping priceless manuscripts up the chimney is certainly one of the less orthodox ways to archive material, but we’ll try anything once here at Chetham’s. Fortunately the private papers of...

   9th April 2014 • Read more

5. A literary photoshoot

   We were delighted to welcome photographer Katie Dervin and author Katherine Clements to the Library recently, shooting publicity shots for Katherine’s recent novel The Crimson Ribbon. Both Katherine and the...

   4th April 2014 • Read more

6. Laura’s blog post

   We are lucky to have a number of wonderful volunteers at the Library who come in week-in, week-out to do sterling work researching, cataloguing and assisting with the care of...

   3rd April 2014 • Read more

7. Creative Tourist

   Creative Tourist have written a lovely article about us which is well worth a look, see it here.

   2nd April 2014 • Read more

8. Belle Vue book published 90 years too late!

   To coincide with the Manchester Histories Festival, we are excited to announce the publication of a new ebook on the history of Belle Vue Zoological Gardens. Written nearly ninety years...

   21st March 2014 • Read more

9. The mysterious monkey lady

   Does anyone know who this glamorous lady with three adorable monkeys is? The photo was taken at Belle Vue in Manchester in – probably – the 1940s, and is from...

   14th March 2014 • Read more

10. Creative Threads

    We’ll be taking part in the Manchester Histories Festival ‘Creative Threads’ day on Sunday 23rd March, and you’re all invited! This is a brilliant opportunity to travel round the city...

    13th March 2014 • Read more