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Collections Crossover: Medieval Times |
A thousand years of history is quite a lot to pack into a short email newsletter, but we're going to give it a go, and devote this week's Collections Crossover to the medieval period which roughly stretches from the year 500 to 1500. Type ‘medieval’ into our website and it returns 20,000 images on a plethora of subjects that are vibrant and varied as the medieval era itself. Everyday life in the Middle Ages is pictured through both contemporary illustrations, as well as some excellent historical reconstructions, particularly from the Historic England archive. Photoresearchers offer a good overview of medieval trades, crafts, agriculture, medicine (the illustrations from Tacuinum Sanitatis are particularly fascinating) and domestic life, while our own collection throws up some oddities whether you're searching for birthing stools or chastity belts! There is also some fantastic material on the more glamorous side of medieval life; tournaments, banquets, food and drink, costume, and love and romance in the age of chivalry. Collections such as Antiquarian Images or Brandstaetter have some very fine examples of this, while the little woodcuts of 14th century games in the Florilegius collection remind us that even fourteenth century folks liked to have fun. The era boasted a flowering of art and letters, with universities established and monasteries churning out exquisite illuminated manuscripts. Feast your eyes on such delights as pages from the Duc du Berry's Tres Riche Heures, or the illustrations from Froissart's celebrated chronicles, as well as psalters, books of hours, and images depicting the dawn of the printing press. Architecture flourished too and the photography by the late Hubertus Kanus, as well as Manuel Cohen records some of the medieval age's most magnificent structures, along with sculpture, painting and religious art. On the subject of religion, medieval beliefs, in an age before science and enlightenment, emphasise perhaps most acutely the medieval mindset. Art specialist Iberfoto is a rich resource for this, and for those who are intrigued by weird aspects of the past, click here for a few slightly unsettling depictions of heaven and hell, torture techniques and medieval monsters. Finally, a quick round up of some of the period's key events - the Crusades, Magna Carta, Black Death, the Hundred Years War and Norman Conquest are all duly covered, with a selection of top history hits in this selection here. Now that we all know our hennin from our wimple, let us remind you that our library offers a dizzying array of imagery across the centuries. If we can help you with your project, do get in touch. You can reach us either by emailing pictures@maryevans.com. or call 020 8318 0034. |
Mary Evans Picture Library Ltd. 59 Tranquil Vale Blackheath London SE3 0BS. United Kingdom. |
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