Something spooky’s happening at Aldgate Library…
Come and see our Little Library of Horrors display for all things ghostly, ghoulish and monstrous – inspired by The Horror Show! exhibition now open at Somerset House. The exhibition examines how ideas rooted in horror have informed the last half a century of creative rebellion in Britain, and our book display refelects some of this cultural history.
As well as a fantastic collection of books on this subject, there are lots of e-resources the library subscibes to that you can search through for more inspiration on this topic.
How about Bridgman Education, (London Met login required) where you can serach over one million images, copyright cleared for use in eduation, and youc an find such things as vintage posters for Dracula films , a mummy of a vampire, and a whole host more of horrors!
Or Box of Broadcasts (Bob), (London Met login required) where you can search through and stream for free any horror films that have been aired on freeview, such as the ‘Halloween’ series and so much more!
JSTOR is a fantasic resource too, and you can search through thousands of journals, articles, book chapters and images – you can narrow them down by type by ticking the relevant boxes on the left hand side.
Beyond London Met, University of London Senate House Library Special Collections house the Harry Price Library of Magical Literature. The collection comprises nearly 13,000 books, pamphlets and periodical titles, some rare, on all aspects of magic, printed between 1472 and the twenty-first century. I was lucky enough to visit it earlier this year as part of CSGUK development opportunity to visit other university libraries, and found it a fantastic resource for any students who might be researching aspects of the paranormal, the occult, witchcraft, magic etc.
A few items we were shown included:
- Scot’s discovery of witchcraft, a rational explanation
- James the 1st’s own account of witchcraft and trials
- Houdini’s last work, and a book signed by him
- 19th C Spirit Photography by William Hope
- Harry Price investigation into William Hope
- A letter from Arthur Conan Doyle
- 1930s investigation of Helen Duncan, the last person who was charged with being a witch in this country
Well worth a visit if this is an area you are interested in! (Please get in touch with them before visiting to find out what their current conditions of entry are, as there may be a charge for non Univeristy of London staff and students)
Little Library of Horrors book display at Aldgate Library
