Featured Topic for Wednesday: From the Cradle to the Grave.

We turn the spotlight in turn on stages in the lives of both ordinary people and celebrities. Historical sources show how our forebears faced the challenges of childbirth, and how the conduct of funerals changed through the centuries.

A selection of rich resources for the study of childhood and education is offered. We see the working lives of women through the topic of household management; references to female charities contrast with images of fashionable hairstyles.

A glimpse of city life is offered alongside the more traditional occupations of those who made their living on the land. Changing attitudes towards country pursuits are illustrated through both practical works on husbandry and romantic perspectives on rural life.

About the Topics

In Good Health

The collections contain many items that show the changes in healthcare and medicine from the past several hundred years.

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Travellers and Tourists

Maps, illustrations and travellers' accounts describe early explorations, the experience of visiting foreign countries, and the beginnings of tourism.

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From the Cradle to the Grave

Changing experiences of birth and death, childhood and adult life, work and leisure, are illustrated in letters, images, and printed ephemera.

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By Sword and Gun

Famous wars, and the personal experiences of fighting men, are described in original manuscript accounts, photographs, posters and published records.

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A Literary Miscellany

Local authors, including D H Lawrence, join literary figures of earlier centuries in a compilation featuring satire, drama, and ballad literature.

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From the University's History

Memorable events in the history of the University of Nottingham are illustrated, from its civic college origins to current international activities.

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