This edition of Through the LIbrary continues our journey through the photographic works of S.W. Colyer, a photographer who captured some of Britain's most iconic places in the 1930s and 40s. Shakespeare's Country focused on Stratford Upon Avon and the surrounding areas, where William Shakespeare spent most of his life (with several stints in London). The book was published … [Read more...] about Through the Library: Shakespeare’s Country by S.W. Colyer – Beautiful Pictures of Old Stratford Upon Avon and the Surrounding Area
Through the Library
Through the Library: Unspoiled Dorset by Colyer – Beautiful Pictures of Old England
It's no secret around here that I love Dorset. It's a timeless place that I can visit again and again. This edition of Through the Library explores the beautiful old pictures I found in a book about Dorset called Unspoiled Dorset by S.W. Colyer. We've written about Colyer before - he had several photography books from the 1940s. Unspoiled Dorset was published in 1940 and was … [Read more...] about Through the Library: Unspoiled Dorset by Colyer – Beautiful Pictures of Old England
Through the Library: Postcards of Old London
These were given to me as a gift from a dear friend and I knew as soon as I looked at them, that I would have to share them with all of you. I don't know how old they are, there isn't a date on the cards, so I can't say when they were published. But I suspect, from the content of the images, that they were produced in the early 20th century. There are no horses in the images so … [Read more...] about Through the Library: Postcards of Old London
Through the Library: The Landscapes of Thomas Hardy – Beautiful Watercolors of 19th and Early 20th Century Dorset
Editor's Note: I'm changing the title of this semi-regular column from Through the Archives to Through the Library as that makes more sense and I wish I'd thought of that first! I'm literally going through old books in my library. I love Dorset. That's no secret around here. Out of all the places I've visited in Britain, I've visited there the most and a special connection … [Read more...] about Through the Library: The Landscapes of Thomas Hardy – Beautiful Watercolors of 19th and Early 20th Century Dorset
Through the Archives: Cotswold Country by S.W. Coyler – Explore the Cotswolds Before They Were a Tourist Hotspot
Everyone loves the Cotswolds. Anyone who visits will immediately fall in love with its green rolling hills and the buildings made of golden Cotswold stone. I dare you to visit and not fall in love with it (even when it's overrun with tourists in the summer). But there was once a day when the Cotswolds weren't a tourist haven but rather just a place people lived. And until it … [Read more...] about Through the Archives: Cotswold Country by S.W. Coyler – Explore the Cotswolds Before They Were a Tourist Hotspot
Through the Archives: Castles and Abbeys of Yorkshire – A Beautiful Book from 1855
Through the Archives is back! This week we have a beautiful old book all about the castles and abbeys of Yorkshire. And this one is old. Very old. It was published in 1855. As usual, I found it in my local second-hand bookshop and I think it's probably the oldest book I know have in the Anglotopia library. It's a real treasure. 1855! This book is over 160 years old. … [Read more...] about Through the Archives: Castles and Abbeys of Yorkshire – A Beautiful Book from 1855
Through the Archives: St Paul’s Cathedral – With a Rare Look Inside Old St Paul’s – Bell’s Cathedral Series
And Through the Archives is back! First up is a rare look at the interior of Old St Paul's Cathedral from before it burned down in the Great Fire of London, plus a look at some of the plans for 'New' St Paul's that were never used. The book I found was called St Paul's Cathedral and See and it was part of the Bell's Cathedral Series of books. These charming little green … [Read more...] about Through the Archives: St Paul’s Cathedral – With a Rare Look Inside Old St Paul’s – Bell’s Cathedral Series
Through the Archives: The Spell of Oxford – Beautiful Pictures of Oxford from 1940
As I finish the first round of 'Through the Archives' posts, I finish where we began, in Oxford. I discovered this book on a shelf in a bookshop in Michigan. It's not in great condition, you can see in the cover image that it possibly has book mold. The cover is torn and spine is coming apart. But on the inside - the pages are pristine and it features 33 black and white plates … [Read more...] about Through the Archives: The Spell of Oxford – Beautiful Pictures of Oxford from 1940
Through the Archives: Ackermann’s Cambridge – King Penguin – Amazing Views of Cambridge in 1815
Our very first Through the Archives post was about Ackermann's Oxford and after much searching, we found the King Penguin Edition for Ackermann's Cambridge. So, it's only fair that Cambridge, that OTHER iconic English University get the same treatment. The original book that these color plates come from was called A History of the University of Cambridge, its colleges, Halls … [Read more...] about Through the Archives: Ackermann’s Cambridge – King Penguin – Amazing Views of Cambridge in 1815
Through the Archives: Life in an English Village – King Penguin – Beautiful Portraits of an English Village
Next on our journey through the archives, we have a series of beautiful color plates that showcase life in an English Village in the post-war years. These sixteen color lithographs by Edward Bawden paint a portrait of England that we've seen time and again in film and TV shows. Edward Bawden, who lives from 1903–1989 was an English painter, illustrator and graphic artist, … [Read more...] about Through the Archives: Life in an English Village – King Penguin – Beautiful Portraits of an English Village
Through the Archives: The Microcosm of London – King Penguin – A Stunning Look at Georgian London
Our first Through the Archives featured a King Penguin book about Oxford. I've taken the liberty to acquire a few other King Penguin books (thanks, eBay!) and plan to share them in the coming weeks. The coolest one I got was called The Microcosm of London and it features 16 beautiful color plates of late Georgian London. The first plates began to appear in 1808. Britain at … [Read more...] about Through the Archives: The Microcosm of London – King Penguin – A Stunning Look at Georgian London
Through the Archives: Westminster Abbey in 1899 – Over 70 Beautiful Photographic Plates That You Probably Have Never Seen
Our new series 'Through the Archives' really struck a chord last week, so I'm really excited about continuing the concept going forward. I've already acquired some more books to scan. This week, however, I want to share a special treasure that I've had in my library for about a year now. It was a gift from my friends at O'Gara and Wilson Booksellers in Chesterton, Indiana. The … [Read more...] about Through the Archives: Westminster Abbey in 1899 – Over 70 Beautiful Photographic Plates That You Probably Have Never Seen
Through the Archives: Ackermann’s Oxford – A Unique Look at Oxford in 1814
I spend a lot of time in second-hand bookstores. Too much time, perhaps. But I love them. Sure you can buy any book you want on Amazon, but the joy of used bookstores is that you have the spirit of discovery, you never quite know what you're going to find. Recently on a visit to my favorite secondhand store in Chesterton, Indiana - O'Gara and Wilson Booksellers, I found this … [Read more...] about Through the Archives: Ackermann’s Oxford – A Unique Look at Oxford in 1814
Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!
