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125 Treasures from our Collections - May 2016
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125 Treasures from our Collections - May 2016

Online Exhibitions
Léa Moreau
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125 Treasures from our Collections - May 2016
Online Exhibitions
125 Treasures from our Collections - May 2016
Welcome to another month of treasures from Aberdeen City Libraries!

Our first treasure this month, maintaining our focus on Aberdeen's built environment, is the architectural plan of the extension of Aberdeen Central Library. Visible on the document is where then Lord Provost, John Fleming, signed off on the plan on 6th October 1902. The extension was opened to the public in 1905.

The month of May has a long association with radical politics and worker activism and it was on 3rd May 1926 that the General Strike began in Britain. A number of employees of Aberdeen's newspapers opposed the national industrial action and continued to print much reduced versions of their publications. See our next treasure to see issues of The Press & Journal and Evening Express from the period of the strike.

National Walking Month takes place in May and is promoted by the UK charity Living Streets. See our feature on the 1813 volume Pedestrianism by Walter Thom to learn about the curious world of historic competitive walking and more about the modern initiative.

Aberdeen's first superintendent of parks Robert Walker was a strong advocate of planting trees on city streets. Take a look at his influential publication On the Planting of Trees in Towns to learn about Aberdeen's pioneering work in this regard.

With elections for the Scottish Parliament taking place this month we next turn to politics with a look at the library's collection of classic satirical magazine, Punch.

If you have any questions or comments about the exhibition please use the comment button or get in touch at localstudies@aberdeencity.gov.uk.
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Items included in this Online Exhibition
Treasure 51: Central Library Extension Plan 1902
Treasure 52: Press and Journal and Evening Express Strike Editions
Treasure 53: An Account of Pedestrianism
Treasure 54: On the Planting of Trees in Towns