DOCSLIB.ORG

The Dynamics and Diversity of Space Use in the British Library

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Dynamics and Diversity of Space Use in the British Library ITU A|Z • Vol 12 No 3 • November 2015 • 23-39 Te dynamics and diversity of space use in the British Library Kerstin SAILER [email protected] • Space Syntax Laboratory, Te Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, 140 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2BX, United Kingdom Received: September 2015 Final Acceptance: October 2015 Abstract Te Space Syntax study of buildings typically distinguishes between weak and strong programming, where social behaviours either follow or defy the spatial logic of a building. Tis is ofen based on analysing collective and aggregate pat- terns of behaviour. Tis paper builds on recent work redefning our understand- ing of weak and strong programming, yet aims to analyse usage patterns and spatial afordances in a much more fne-grained way by taking diversity of user groups as well as the temporal unfolding of behaviours into account. Te British Library acts as a case study and is investigated based on a rich empirical dataset of observed user behaviours. Results suggest that the British Library shows both strong and weak program- ming: movement fows only partially followed spatial confguration, and the in- terface the building constructed kept people apart rather than bringing them to- gether. In addition, large variations in user activities existed in some parts of the Library, all of which points towards strong programming. At the same time how- ever, certain activities showed clear spatial preferences and signifcant diferences in local and global visibility patterns, which illustrates weak programming. It was also shown how dynamic and diverse user behaviours emerged in the British Li- brary, highlighting the need to draw a nuanced picture of usage. Te contribution of the paper thus lies in a detailed and deep analysis of usage patterns, unpacking variations in behaviours between diferent users at diferent times and linking this both to the afordances of confguration as well as programmatic infuences. Keywords Public libraries, Space syntax, Space usage, Temporal dynamics, Strong and weak programming. 24 1. Introduction: More than just If we consider buildings based on books… usage, change becomes essential. Pub- Buildings are dynamic settings lic libraries, like most other building that accommodate a range of difer- types have seen a dramatic change in ent uses. A hospital for instance is how they are used, perceived and ex- not just a place for curing the ill, but perienced. Te increasing digitisation also a workplace for nurses, doctors, of content means that new ways of ac- cleaners and porters (see for instance cessing collections emerge, thus shif- Heo, Choudhary, Bafna, Hendrich, ing the necessity of a physical site away & Chow, 2009 on nurses assignments from providing access and towards and behavioural patterns). A school other uses. Drawing on a study of 24 not only enables teaching and learning, recently built monumental public li- but is also an important place for so- brary buildings, Shoham and Yablonka cialisation, making friends and hang- (2008) came to the conclusion that the ing out (Minuchin & Shapiro, 1983; new-built libraries had increased user Sailer, 2015). Shops have clear social numbers, were full of life and served functions beyond their retail purpose wider purposes as symbols of culture, (Koch, 2014). Museums do not only as tourist attractions, but also as pleas- exhibit pieces of art, but also educate, ant meeting places in a quiet cultured entertain and sell merchandise (Kwon environment. & Sailer, 2015). Likewise, libraries have Te British Library forms a partic- always been meeting places for com- ularly interesting case in this context. munities in addition to storing books Te architect of the British Library, and organising access to information Sir Colin St John Wilson (1998) de- (Capille & Psarra, 2015). scribed the multitude of functions to All of the above descriptions cen- be accommodated as: a day-to-day tre on what people do in buildings. workplace, an institution that embod- Indeed, most buildings are defned by ies and celebrates national memory, a functions or so called ‘use types’ (For- storage of collections, places of study, ty, 2000) or ‘activity types’ (Steadman, exhibitions of its treasures, an event- 2014): a hospital is a hospital because space hosting lectures and seminars, of what happens there, and likewise and back-of-house functions such as a school is a school again because of conservation laboratories and admin- what goes on inside it (Hillier, Hanson, istration. Tis already points to a real & Peponis, 1984). diversity of space usage patterns. How Yet, it seems that what people do the publicly accessible areas of the Li- in buildings becomes even more im- brary are indeed used in their every- portant, as a new focus on the human day functioning will be explored in side of architecture as well as on peo- this paper, drawing on a rich data set ple’s experiences, behaviours and us- of empirical and both quantitative and age patterns can be observed in recent qualitative participant observations, discourses. Te question of usage and collected in 2009 and 2010 by MSc daily life has already been popular in students at the Bartlett, UCL. It will be the 1970’s with architects like Herman asked how people move around in the Hertzberger defning architecture as building, to which degree the spatial concerned with ‘daily life lived by all layout (analysed with Space Syntax) people’ (Hertzberger, 1991), however informs usage patterns and how usage only recently, scholars have argued that varies between diferent user groups, the social agenda of architecture has but also over time. Its main aim is to too long been a blind spot that needs provide a sketch of the multi-function- re-addressing (Cupers, 2013). Other ality of the building and describe user recent publications on usage and the groups and usage patterns in as much social role of architecture and design detail and variation as possible. Tis is (Awan, Schneider, & Till, 2011; Berg- an important task, if we want to refect doll, 2010; Maudlin & Vellinga, 2014; on how to design ‘social’ buildings in Till, 2009) underlined the import- the future, where usage and people’s ant reading of buildings as ‘lived in’ activities, preferences and experienc- (Brand, 1994; Hollis, 2009). es are actively anticipated, embedded, ITU A|Z • Vol 12 No 3 • November 2015 • K. Sailer 25 and allowed to grow and change. of a strong programme building, since Tis paper is structured as follows: diferent user groups with varying de- Chapter 2 will provide theoretical grees of inhabitant or visitor status foundations for the empirical explora- such as judges, barristers, witnesses, tions of usage patterns in the British Li- defendants and public were channelled brary by sketching research on library through the building along separat- buildings and human behaviours, but ed paths so that their movement was also by elaborating on the Space Syn- highly controlled and encounters were tax theory of ‘strong and weak pro- actively hindered until all users met gramming’ in buildings. Chapter 3 in the highly orchestrated and ritual- will introduce the British Library as a ised court room proceedings (Hanson, case study, followed by a detailed de- 1996). In contrast, buildings were seen scription of methodology in Chapter as weakly programmed if the interface 4. In four consecutive steps, Chapter 5 between user groups was not con- will discuss the diversity and dynam- trolled and everyone could encounter ics of usage patterns in the British Li- everyone else freely, following ‘short brary and a fnal Chapter 6 will draw models’ with a high degree of randomi- conclusions, discuss limitations of the sation and morphogenesis (Hillier & study and provide an outline of future Hanson, 1984). Te most used example research in the feld. for traditionally weakly programmed buildings was the editorial foor of a 2. Usage patterns and building types: newspaper, which fourished through On strong and weak programming generative and unstructured encoun- In their paper ‘Visible Colleges’ Hill- ters among diferent users. ier and Penn (1991) conceptualised Te implications of this theory for buildings as either strongly or weakly the understanding of buildings and programmed depending on the de- usage patterns lie mainly in the ques- gree to which the activity patterns in- tion how closely movement fows and side the buildings followed strict rules, resulting patterns of encounter corre- procedures and models. Tis theory is spond to spatial confguration. Tradi- crucial in understanding the relation- tional Space Syntax theory would sug- ship between spatial layout and usage gest that movement fows are highest patterns inside diferent building types. in areas of high spatial integration – so A programme was defned as “not called ‘natural movement’ (Hillier & the organisation it houses (…) [but] the Iida, 2005; Hillier, Penn, Hanson, Gra- spatial dimension of an organisation, jewski, & Xu, 1993), however, adding and the key element in any programme strong and weak programming, we is the interface, or interfaces, that the would only expect this relationship to building exists to construct (…) [i.e.] the hold in the case of weak programming, spatial relation between or among two where randomisation is at play and broad categories of persons (…) that the layout can act morphogenetical- every building defnes: inhabitants, or ly. In contrast, it could be argued that those whose social identity as individu- movement fows follow programme in als is embedded in the spatial layout and strongly programmed buildings. who therefore have some degree of con- Over recent years, the theory of trol of space; and visitors, who lack con- strong and weak programming was trol, whose identities in the building are taken up by diferent researchers and collective, usually temporary and sub- articulated further, for instance Koch ordinated to those of the inhabitants”. and Steen (2012) proposed a new cri- (Hillier & Penn, 1991, p.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The British Library
    PUBLIC SPACE AND THE ROLE OF THE ARCHITECT London Modernist Case Study Briefing (c. 2016 FABE Research Team, University of Westminster) THE BRITISH LIBRARY CONTENTS SUMMARY………………………………………………... .......... 3 1. BUILDING CHRONOLOGY……………………………......... 4 2. POLICY AND IDEOLOGY………………………………........ 7 3. AGENTS……………………………………………………….. 12 4. BRIEF…………………………………………………….......... 14 5. DESIGN…………………………………………………………16 6. MATERIALS/CONSTRUCTION/ENVIRONMENT 22 7. RECEPTION…………………………………………….......... 22 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………….……… 26 PROJECT INFORMATION Case Study: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB Dates: 1962 - 1998 (final plan 1977, build 1982-1999, staggered opening November 1997- June 1999) Architects: Colin St John Wilson with M.J. Long, John Collier, John Honer, Douglas Lanham, Peter Carolin Client: The British Museum, then The British Library (following Act of Parliament 1972) Contractors: Phase 1A, Laing Management Contracting Ltd. Completion phase, McAlpine/Haden Joint Venture Financing: National government Site area: 112,643 m2 (building footprint is 3.1 hectares, on a site of 5 hectares) Tender price: £511 million. Budget overrun: £350 million 2 SUMMARY The British Library, the United Kingdom’s national library and one of six statutory legal depositories for published material, was designed and constructed over a 30-year period. It was designed by Colin St John Wilson (1922 – 2007) with his partner M J Long (1939 – ), and opened to the public in 1997. As well as a functioning research library, conference centre and exhibition space, the British Library is a national monument, listed Grade I in 2015. Brian Lang, Chief Executive of the British Library during the 1990s, described it as “the memory of the nation’, there to ‘serve education and learning, research, economic development and cultural enrichment.’1 The nucleus of what is now known as the British Library was, until 1972, known as the British Museum Library.
    [Show full text]
  • British Library Annual Report and Accounts 2013/14 British Library
    British Library Annual Report and Accounts 2013/14 British Library Annual Report and Accounts 2013/14 Presented to Parliament pursuant to section 4(3) and 5(3) of the British Library Act 1972 Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on 16 July 2014 Laid before the Scottish Parliament by the Scottish Ministers 16 July 2014 Laid before the National Assembly for Wales by the [First Secretary] 16 July 2014 Laid before the National Assembly for Northern Ireland 16 July 2014 HC 361 SG/2014/91 © British Library (2014) The text of this document (this excludes, where present, the Royal Arms and all departmental or agency logos) may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium provided that it is reproduced accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as British Library copyright and the document title specified. Where third party material has been identified, permission from the respective copyright holder must be sought. Any enquiries related to this publication should be sent to us at [email protected] This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications Print ISBN 9781474102834 Web ISBN 9781474102841 Printed in the UK by the Williams Lea Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office ID SGD004976 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimum Contents Foreword 4 Trustees’ and Accounting Officer’s Responsibilities 6 Objectives and Activities 10 Key Performance Indicators 21 Statistics 24 Financial Review 28 Sustainability Report 33 Remuneration Report 39 Statement of Trustees’ and Directors’ Responsibilities 45 Governance Statement 46 Risk Management 53 The Certificate and Report of the Comptroller and 59 Auditor General to the Houses of Parliament and the Scottish Parliament Statement of Financial Activities 61 Balance Sheet 63 Cash Flow Statement 65 Notes to the Accounts 66 Foreword As we look back on the past year at the British Library, we are once again in the fortunate position of being able to reflect on a number of important achievements.
    [Show full text]
  • A History of the British Library Slavonic and East European Collections: 1952-2004
    A History of the British Library Slavonic and East European Collections: 1952-2004 Milan Grba Preface The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to the British Library Slavonic and East European Department oral history interviews project. The project was carried out over two years, and nineteen former Slavonic and East European department staff took part in it in 2011 and 2012. The material from the oral history project and description in more detail can be accessed via the British Library Sound and Moving Image Catalogue (http://cadensa.bl.uk/cgi-bin/webcat) as the entry ‘the British Library Slavonic and East European Oral History Interviews’. This article is limited only to information that has not been discussed in interviews or published in previous research on the British Library collections.1 It draws on two main sources of information. The unpublished primary sources which were consulted are held in the British Library Archives in the DH 2 series and the published sources were derived from P. R. Harris, A History of the British Museum Library, 1753-1973 (London, 1998).2 The British Library staff office notices were also consulted for the period 1973 to 2000, but this period is examined to a lesser extent. This is partly due to the information already provided in the interviews and partly to the time limits imposed upon the research for this article. Much more attention is needed for the post-1973 period, and without a full grasp and understanding of the archive sources it would be not possible properly to assess the available information held in the British Library 1 Such as P.
    [Show full text]
  • 36Th Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09
    The knowledge network THE BRITISH LIBRARY Thirty-sixth Annual Report and Accounts 2008/09. Annual Report presented in compliance with section 4(3) of the British Library Act 1972 by the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Accounts prepared pursuant to Section 5(3) of the Act and presented by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 15 July 2009 Laid before the Scottish Parliament by the Scottish Ministers 15 July 2009 HC762 London: The Stationery Office £19.15 SG/2009/121 © Crown Copyright 2009 The text in this document (excluding the Royal Arms and other departmental or agency logos) may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the title of the document specified. Where we have identified any third party copyright material you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. For any other use of this material please write to: Office of Public Sector Information, Information Policy Team, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU [email protected] ISBN: 9 78 010296 1164 Introduction Welcome to the British Library’s Annual Report and Accounts 2008/09 The British Library is the knowledge network in today’s ever-expanding digital world. We connect people with collections, content and their contemporaries from the British Library and other great world institutions. This year’s Annual Report highlights our progress in sharing, preserving and advancing this great treasure house of knowledge, working with partners in the UK and around the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Friends of the National Libraries: a Short History
    Friends of the National Libraries: A Short History Saving the nation’s written and By Max Egremont printed heritage This history first appeared in a special edition of The Book Collector in Summer 2011, FNL’s eightieth year. The Trustees of Friends of the National Libraries are grateful to the publisher of The Book Collector for permission to reissue the article in its present, slightly amended, form. A Short History 1 HRH The Prince of Wales. © Hugo Burnand. 2 Friends of the National Libraries Friends of the National he Friends of the National Libraries began as a response to an emergency. From the start, the Friends were fortunate in their leadership. Sir Frederic Libraries has helped save TOn March 21 1931, the Times published a letter signed by a group of the great Kenyon was one of British Museum’s great directors and principal librarians, the nation’s written and and the good, headed by the name of Lord D’Abernon, the chairman of the Royal a classical and biblical scholar who made his name as a papyrologist and widened the printed history since Commission on National Museums and Galleries. The message was that there was appeal of the museum by introducing guide lecturers and picture postcards; he also had a need for an organisation similar to the National Art Collections Fund (now called literary credentials as the editor of the works of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. 1931. FNL awards grants the Art Fund) but devoted to rare books and manuscripts. The reason for this The Honorary Treasurer Lord Riddell, a former associate of Lloyd George, came to national, regional was that sales of rare books and manuscripts from Britain to institutions and to from the world of politics and the press.
    [Show full text]
  • St Cross Building, 612/24/10029 University of Oxford
    St. Cross Building Conservation Plan May 2012 St. Cross Building, Oxford Conservation Plan, May 2012 1 Building No. 228 Oxford University Estates Services First draft March 2011 This draft May 2012 St. Cross Building, Oxford Conservation Plan, May 2012 2 THE ST. CROSS BUILDING, OXFORD CONSERVATION PLAN CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 7 1.1 Purpose of the Conservation Plan 7 1.2 Scope of the Conservation Plan 8 1.3 Existing Information 9 1.4 Methodology 9 1.5 Constraints 9 2 UNDERSTANDING THE SITE 13 2.1 History of the Site and University 13 2.2 Design, Construction, and Subsequent History of the St. Cross 14 Building 3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ST. CROSS BUILDING 21 3.1 Significance as part of the Holywell suburb, and the Central (City 21 and University) Conservation Area 3.2 Architectural Significance 24 3.3 Archaeological Significance 26 3.4 Significance as a major library and work space 27 3.5 Historical Significance 27 4 VULNERABILITIES 31 4.1 Access 31 4.2 Legibility 32 4.3 Maintenance 34 St. Cross Building, Oxford Conservation Plan, May 2012 3 4.4 Health and Safety 40 5 CONSERVATION POLICY 43 6 BIBLIOGRAPHY 51 7 APPENDICES 55 Appendix 1: Listed Building Description 55 Appendix 2: Conservation Area Description 57 Appendix 3: Chronology of the St. Cross Building 61 Appendix 4: Checklist of Significant Features 63 Appendix 5: Floor Plans 65 St. Cross Building, Oxford Conservation Plan, May 2012 4 St. Cross Building, Oxford Conservation Plan, May 2012 5 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK St. Cross Building, Oxford Conservation Plan, May 2012 6 1 INTRODUCTION The St.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring the History of the First World War
    EXPLORING THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR supported by: WHO ARE WE? Gateways to the First World War is a public engagement centre funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Based at the University of Kent, the Gateways team includes specialists on First World War research from the Universities of Brighton, Greenwich, Portsmouth, Leeds and Queen Mary University of London. It also has close links with organisations such as the Imperial War Museum, National Maritime Museum, War Memorials Trust and many more across the UK and internationally. Gateways can offer advice, guidance and support on developing projects to commemorate the First World War. For more information visit our website at: www.gatewaysfww.org.uk or email [email protected]. COMMEMORATING THE FIRST WORLD WAR The First World War shaped the 20th century, and its repercussions are still felt today. It proved to be an immensely complex phenomenon influencing lives across the planet in myriad ways, and as such has fascinated historians and the wider public alike ever since. The centenary of the conflict gives us the chance to re-evaluate the experience. It is an opportunity for us all to question our understandings and perceptions of this momentous event in history. This booklet provides advice on resources for research for those interested in the history of the First World War and ideas for developing and funding centenary projects. HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL? The National Archives (TNA): Key personal information is often found in the individual service records and medal card indexes. These can be downloaded (for a fee) or you can view them for free by visiting TNA at Kew.
    [Show full text]
  • The Changing Role of the Library: Missions and Ethics
    Purdue University Purdue e-Pubs Proceedings of the IATUL Conferences 1999 IATUL Proceedings The changing role of the library: missions and ethics David Russon The British Library David Russon, "The changing role of the library: missions and ethics." Proceedings of the IATUL Conferences. Paper 29. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/iatul/1999/papers/29 This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE LIBRARY: MISSIONS AND ETHICS David Russon, Deputy Chief Executive, The British Library, London, UK E-mail: [email protected] I recognise that the theme of your conference - the changing role of the library - focuses on academic libraries and the changes that will stem from the changes in educational structures and organisations, and in new approaches to teaching and learning. Given that national libraries play a significant role in the educational systems of their countries, these changes will also impact on them. However what I should like to do in the time allotted to me this morning is to describe some of the broader questions of mission and ethics that the British Library has recently been addressing. The British Library experience is I believe of relevance to all national libraries, and much of it to academic libraries. National Libraries depend upon the general public for their very existence. All of them survive to a very great extent on the tax payer. In the face of huge competing pressure on government funding, particularly for education and health, national libraries will only flourish if they have political support, and that political support will only be forthcoming if there is a general recognition that national libraries make a significant contribution to national life.
    [Show full text]
  • Directory to Western Printed Heritage Collections
    Directory to western printed heritage collections A. Background to the collections B. Major named Collections of rare books C. Surveys of Early and Rare Books by Place of Origin D. Surveys of Special Collections by Format A. Background to the Collections A1. Introduction. The Library was founded in 1973 (British Library Act 1972). A number of existing collections were transferred into its care at that time, the most extensive of which were those of the British Museum’s Department of Printed Books (including the National Reference Library of Science and Invention), Department of Mss, and Department Oriental Mss and Printed Books. Other collections of rare and special materials have been added subsequently, most notably the India Office Library & Records in 1982. The Library today holds over 150 million collection items, including books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, printed music, maps, mss, archival records, sound recordings, postage stamps, electronic titles, and archived websites; this figure includes an estimated 4.1 million books, pamphlets and periodical titles printed in the West from the 15th cent to the 19th cent. The breadth of collecting in terms of subjects, dates, languages, and geographical provenance has always been a feature of collection building policies. A wide range of heritage materials continues to be acquired from Britain and overseas through purchase and donation. The Library’s early printed materials feature prominently in a range of digital facsimile products, e.g. Early English Books Online, Eighteenth Century Collections Online, Early Music Online, Nineteenth Century Collections Online, and Google Books. Direct links to facsimiles are increasingly provided from the Library’s website, particularly from the main catalogues.
    [Show full text]
  • Pallant House Gallery
    __ The Economic Contribution of Pallant House Gallery 16 June 2016 Contents 5. Economic Model ............................................................................... 20 5.1 Additionality Analysis .......................................................................... 21 1. Executive Summary ........................................................................... 3 5.2 Economic Multipliers ........................................................................... 23 1.1 Growing Organisation ........................................................................... 3 5.3 GVA and FTE Conversion .................................................................. 23 1.2 Dedicated Audience ............................................................................. 3 5.4 Economic Modelling Results ............................................................... 24 1.3 Overall Economic Impact ..................................................................... 3 5.4.1 Audience Analysis ............................................................................... 24 1.4 Expansion since 2008 .......................................................................... 4 5.4.2 Organisation Analysis ......................................................................... 25 2. Introduction ........................................................................................ 5 5.4.3 Overall Assessment ............................................................................ 25 2.1 Methodological Overview ....................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • July – December 2019 British Library
    Follow us on Twitter @BL_Publishing Our trade distributor Spain and Portugal Italy Jenny Padovani Penny Padovani Titles in this catalogue can be [email protected] T +39 0575 614338 ordered direct from our distributor: [email protected] South East and North Asia Marston Book Services Publishers International New Zealand Milton Park, Abingdon Marketing David Bateman Ltd OXON, OX14 4SB T +44 1202 896210 [email protected] T +44 (0) 1235 465500 [email protected] [email protected] South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, [email protected] Greece and Cyprus Swaziland and Botswana Isabella Curtis Peter Hyde Associates UK local representatives T +30 210 7218995 [email protected] [email protected] London and South East For all other sales territories, USA and Canada Pinnacle Booksales UK point of sale and marketing Trafalgar Square Publishing [email protected] materials T +1 800 888 4741 [email protected] [email protected] Maria Vassilopoulos South West England Africa (excluding South Africa, T +44 (0)20 7412 7704 British Library Debbie Jones Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland T +44 (0)7710759720 T +44 (0)1822 617 223 and Botswana) [email protected] M +44 (0)7850 621204 Matthew Walsh [email protected] Gunnar Lie & Associates Ltd For publicity Midlands, Norfolk, Oxford, Tel: +44 (0)20 8605 1097 Cambridge and Wales E-mail: [email protected] Abbie Day Ian Tripp T +44 (0)20 7412 7266 Publishing Middle East (including Turkey T +44 (0)7970 450162 [email protected] July – December
    [Show full text]
  • Price Lists from the Sloane MS 3961, the British Library
    Kusukawa/Courten/JHC/Appendices/ Page 1 of 48 © The British Library Board (Sloane MSS 3961 & 3962) Appendix I This is a transcription of William Courten’s (1642-1702) price lists from the Sloane MS 3961, the British Library, some of which is written in cipher.1 The transcription is presented in a chronological order, not in the order in which they appear in the manuscript. Standard contractions and abbreviations have been spelt out silently, including Courten’s shorthand for September (‘7ber’), October (‘8ber’), November (‘9ber’) and December (‘Xber’). Owing to limitations of space and time, no systematic effort has been made to identify objects listed here among the surviving material at the British Museum, the British Library or the Natural History Museum. Conventions used in this transcription: \ /: insertion by Courten [ ]: originally written in cipher by Courten, decoded ( ): my comments The following abbreviations have been retained: aXa = £X B. = bought E or est. = estimated D = double g. = given gXg = X guineas N. K. or n. k. = not known pcl = parcel(s) pre = pair ps = piece(s) R. = reversus (of a coin) SXS or XS = X shillings v.p. = very pretty )X) or X) = X pence Abbreviation used in notes: BL The British Library BM The British Museum Heal A. Heal, The London Goldsmiths, 1200-1800 (Cambridge, 1935). OAO Oxford Art Online (Oxford, 2007-15, online edition) ODNB Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford, 2004-15, online edition) OED Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford, 2015, online edition) RSA Royal Society Archives 1 Keys to Courten’s ciphers were supplied by frederic Madden in BL, Add.
    [Show full text]