The Signet Library

Pages and a cutting from the Signet Library copy of the Ashendene Press's 1935 farewell bibliography.

Annotations by the great eighteenth century antiquarian Richard Gough in a sammelband of numismatics now at the Signet Library but once part of lot 1104 of his Sotheby Sale of 1810.

Four spreads by the limner Robert Burns (1869-1941), the son of the Edinburgh Rock House photographer Archibald Burns, taken from his late-career limited edition masterpiece "Scots Ballads".

A genuine rarity of Scottish music on the cataloguing desk this afternoon - the VERY scarce 1725 first edition of William Thomson's "Orpheus Caledonius", complete and undamaged in original binding. Provenance from the great Scottish musical historian Alfred Moffat (1863-1950).

We're delighted to announce the completion of the recataloguing of our important collection of ephemera from the press of the great C18 Edinburgh eccentric William Mitchel, "the Tincklarian Doctor". Link to Dr. Kit Baston's article on the project in the reply.

Read Dr. Kit Baston's article on the good Doctor and his magnificent pamphleteering career here - wssociety-heritage.co.uk/tincklariandoc…

@signetlibrary The Country Life shot does the architecture proud — that long exposure pulls every shadow off the staircase. Patrick Adam's painting next to it is doing the colour memory the camera couldn't. Pair makes the room, neither alone.

The entrance hall of the Signet Library from a 1925 Country Life photograph newly donated to the Library. The decoration scheme was put in by architect Robert Rowan Anderson in 1908 - in colour in Patrick Adam's 1920 painting on the right - which would endure into the 1960s.

A pleasure and privilege to have you all with us.

Delighted to welcome members of the Royal Photographic Society's Historical Group this morning for an exhibition of the Signet Library's photographic collection.

Here is our new blogpost about the exhibition - wssociety-heritage.co.uk/2026/02/10/sco…

An hour away from Jen and Ben's Mixed Doubles Curling Bronze Medal match - we've a new online exhibition on the literature of Scotland's Ain Game - link in first comment

@OldEdinClub @leithlinkz Dive in here: wssociety-heritage.co.uk/2026/02/02/the…

We recently finished the research phase of our @OldEdinClub - funded project about the archives of the WS Society's school for orphans, John Watson's Institution. Research by Dr. Kit Baston and @leithlinkz Link in first reply -

For Remembrance Sunday, the WS Society War Memorial of fallen Writers to the Signet and Apprentices. There are two panels of names here: a third would be added after World War II.

"Who Do You Think You Are" Magazine new November 2025 issue's "Gem from the Archive" features the Signet Library's @OldEdinClub funded project on the records of John Watson's Institution, research undertaken by Dr. Kit Baston and @leithlinkz

The bookplate of Lady Elizabeth "Betty" Germain, former owner of the Signet Library's set of the 1719 State Tryals. (Image courtesy of @leithlinkz )

Two noble sets of the State Trials - the 1719 edition, once in the library of the remarkable Lady Elizabeth "Betty" Germain (1680-1769), and the Hargrave 1776, once in the library of Francis, 9th Earl of Moray (1737–1810).

Viewers of Michael Portillo's Railway200 programmes intrigued by the map of the Liverpool & Manchester railway might enjoy the Signet Library copy which has been digitised by our friends @natlibscotmaps . Link in first reply!