News round-up: April 2016

Lib R f5201 Api — Facsimile of 1540 text ‘Astronomicum Caesarum’ by Petrus Apianus (Leipzig, 1967)

21^st April 2016 – Aberdeen Astronomical Society Visit

Siobhán Convery, Head of Special Collections, hosted a visit from over 20 members of the Aberdeen Astronomical Society on the 21^st April 2016. After an introduction to Special Collections by Siobhán followed by a discussion of the history of astronomy by Dr John Reid, Honorary Senior Lecturer in Physics, the group were shown a display of astronomical treasures from the collections including Dioptrice by Kepler (1538), De revolutionibus orbium coelestium by Copernicus (1543), Galileo’s Systema Cosmicum (1635) and Systema Saturnium by Huygens (1659). The display also included material with a local connection such as Optica Promota (1663) by James Gregory (1638-1675), a graduate of Marischal College and Professor of Mathematics at the University of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, and the lecture notes of Patrick Copland, Professor of Natural Philosophy and Mathematics 1775-1822 (MSM 174/2). The evening received an enthusiastic response from the group and was a fitting end to their programme of events for the 2015-2016 season.

A full list of the items on display can be found here: Aberdeen Astronomical Society display items

28^th April 2016 – Friends of Hospitalfield Visit

Special Collections was delighted to host a visit from nine members of the Friends of Hospitalfield, and in particular to welcome back Scott Byrne, former Exhibition Officer at Special Collections and now General Manager at Hospitalfield. After a tour of the main Library building by Keith O’Sullivan, Senior Rare Books Librarian, followed by a talk in the gallery space by Jen Shaw, Exhibition Officer, the group were given a tour of the Special Collections Centre by Siobhán Convery. This included a small display of some treasures from the collections, including the wonderful Hortus Sanitatis (INC 3). The last part of their visit included a tour of the Glucksman Conservation Centre.

For more information about the work and events at Hospitalfield please see their website: http://hospitalfield.org.uk/.