South Asian – Cambridge University Library Special Collections

New Royal Commonwealth Society acquisitions!

Posted on 6 June 2019 by John C.

The Royal Commonwealth Society Department is thrilled to announce that it has purchased at auction two items which reinforce its existing strengths in the history […]

Acquisitions, Photographs, Royal Commonwealth Society, South Asian, women

Digitisation of Sukkur Bridge photograph album

Posted on 8 June 2018 by John C.

The Royal Commonwealth Society Library’s recent purchase at auction of a splendid presentation album of photographs (Y30244A), celebrating the opening of the Lansdowne Bridge, Sukkur, […]

Cambridge Digital Library, Digitisation, Photographs, Recent acquisitions, Royal Commonwealth Society, South Asian

Extract from Maps.Ms.Plans.R.c.1 "Map of the Maingnyaung region" ca. 1860

Mapping the Maps – a guest post from Natasha Pairaudeau

Posted on 18 April 2017 by Anne Taylor

Imagine maps as big as bedsheets, and then imagine the sheets big enough for beds made wide enough to sleep extended families. Only such a […]

Burma, Digital Resources, Digitisation, Maps, South Asian, Special Collections

Conservation of Indian miniatures

Posted on 24 April 2015 by Rachel Rowe

The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) collections in Cambridge University Library contain a very attractive collection of nineteenth century Indian mica paintings from Tiruchirappalli in Tamil […]

Archives, Conservation, Royal Commonwealth Society, South Asian, Special Collections

Tea and coffee in India and Ceylon

Posted on 22 January 2015 by John C.

The Royal Commonwealth Society Collections have uploaded an on-line catalogue for a visually rich recent acquisition, donated by the former planter John Weatherstone. Weatherstone was […]

New on Janus, Photographs, Royal Commonwealth Society, South Asian

Cambridge Bibliographical Society talk, 23 January 2013

Posted on 17 January 2013 by Special Collections

Dr Vincenzo Vergiani will give a paper on ‘South Asian manuscript culture as represented in the Sanskrit collections of the University Library, Cambridge’. The talk […]

Cambridge Bibliographical Society, Events, Manuscripts, South Asian

Not Orville and Wilbur

Posted on 8 January 2013 by Craig

In the world in general mention of the Wright Brothers brings to mind the pioneers of controlled powered manned flight, Orville and Wilbur Wright. In […]

In the spotlight, Manuscripts, South Asian

Stormy weather

Posted on 2 February 2012 by Special Collections

The Sanskrit Manuscripts Project, Cambridge, has recently launched its own website with full details about the project, news and features on some of the manuscripts […]

South Asian

History of Cartography online

Posted on 5 August 2011 by Anne Taylor

Since the first volume appeared in 1987 the University of Chicago’s History of Cartography series of monographs has become a standard and authoritative reference work […]

Chinese, Japanese, Maps, Near and Middle Eastern, South Asian