Come and see a selection of new acquisitions outside the entrance to the National Art Library. This new display continues to showcase the diversity of the Library collections and the different ways in which we are able to acquire these amazing books. They have come to us through purchase or gift but we also receive objects through bequests and are able to acquire some items through the generosity of our supporters. We have included a photobook, a concertina book, a turn-up book, a comic and more, to give you a taste of all the different shapes and forms that the items in our collections can take.
New acquisitions on display outside the entrance to the National Art Library © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
The oak tree: a tribute to eternity is a concertina artist’s book by Scottish artist Jane Hyslop. It is inspired by Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando from 1928, influenced specifically by the poem written by the central character throughout the book. Hyslop creates a visual story representing both the poem as well as historical and current events using pochoir prints that cover both sides of the structure. She takes the piece beyond the timeline of Orlando to explore issues of climate change and the human impact on nature. We acquired this work after I saw it at a book fair in Edinburgh, I was stunned by the illustrations and the beautiful use of the concertina format. We are very happy to have added this work to our strong collection of artists’ books.
Jane Hyslop, The oak tree: a tribute to Eternity, Edinburgh: published by the artist, 2024, Museum no. 38041024023897 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Human nature delineated is an early-19th century version of The Beginning, Progress and End of Man, an unattributed turn-up book first published in the mid-17th-century. This interactive book asks the reader to lift each flap, thus transforming the illustration and moving the narrative along. We are very grateful to the Morton family who, after cherishing this fragile little book for generations, decided to gift it to the museum in 2023, in memory of their mother. Since it came to the museum, it has been repaired so that it can be accessed by readers in our reading rooms, like everything else in the National Art Library collection. It is displayed in a box made especially by our colleagues in Conservation so that it can be stored safely.
Human nature delineated, Birmingham, ‘1802’ [watermarked 1807]. Museum no. 38041024001612. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Redell Olsen’s Fossil oil: a book of hours uses the format of a medieval book of hours to convey an important message about the fossil fuel era and the climate crisis we are facing as a result. The binding takes the shape of a medieval girdle book, a form of ‘wearable book’ popular between the 13th and 16th centuries. The materials echo Olsen’s message as she uses deadstock fabrics including a PVC leatherette, a product made from chemicals sourced from fossil fuels. This book is a great addition to our artists’ books collection as well as relating to our holdings of medieval manuscripts.
(Back) Redell Olsen, Fossil oil: a book of hours, London: published by the artist as part of the Intervals Project with AMBruno, 2024. Museum no. 38041025005448. (Front) Sarah Brunstad, LA strong: a charity comic for victims of the Los Angeles fires, Miami: Mad Cave Studios, 2025. Museum no. 38041025007337. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
The National Art Library also holds an extensive and international collection of comics, acquired by our Periodicals Librarian, who ensures that the collection is diverse and up to date. LA strong: a charity comic for victims of the Los Angeles fires is a collaborative work between Mad Cave Studios and a long list of all-star creators. The pages vary from deeply personal stories to depictions of imagined mystical realms, creating a comic that can resonate with everyone. 100% of the proceeds go to comic creators impacted by the 2025 fires in Los Angeles.
New acquisitions on display outside the entrance to the National Art Library © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
A huge part of the library’s acquiring is done for our general collection by our small team of librarians and cataloguers who acquire and accession hundreds of books every year. Belle da Costa Greene: a librarian’s legacy accompanied an exhibition during the Morgan Library & Museum’s centennial in 2024. Greene (1879-1950) was one of the most prominent librarians in American history, building the Morgan Library’s rare books and manuscripts collections during her forty-three-year career there. She also turned it from an exclusive private collection into a leading public library. Belle was from an African American background but her mother made the decision to change their surname to Greene and from the time Belle was a teenager, the family passed as white in a segregated and racist community. Greene achieved so much during a time of prejudice and limited opportunity, leaving a powerful and inspiring legacy.
WHAT’S ON DISPLAY?
- Ruth Beale and Simon Elvins (eds), All the libraries in London: reader (London: All the Libraries, 2023). Museum no. 38041023024441.
- Erica Ciallela and Philip S. Palmer (eds), Belle da Costa Greene: a librarian’s legacy (New York: The Morgan Library & Museum; DelMonico Books/D.A.P., 2024). Museum no. 38041025001942.
- Jane Hyslop, The oak tree: a tribute to eternity, with introduction and notes written in collaboration with Bryony Randall (Edinburgh: published by the artist, 2024). Museum no. 38041024023897.
- William Arnold, Keep it in line: keep it in motion, Cornwall: Published by Bare Pipes Press, 2024. Museum no. 38041024002149. Acquisition supported through the generosity of David Solo.
- Human nature delineated (Birmingham, ‘1802’ [watermarked 1807]). Museum no. 38041024001612. Gifted to the V&A by the family of Mildred Morton (1926–2023) to fulfil her wish that all might know of it.
- Arthur Brown, Tennyson’s brook (Newcastle upon Tyne: Published by the photographer, 1879). Museum no. 38041024023962.
- Redell Olsen, Fossil oil: a book of hours (London: published by the artist as part of the Intervals Project with AMBruno), 2024. Museum no. 38041025005448.
- Sarah Brunstad, LA strong: a charity comic for victims of the Los Angeles fires (Miami: Mad Cave Studios, 2025). Museum no. 38041025007337.
Lovely selection of pieces to learn about. Must visit next time I’m in London.
These look amazing, thanks, especially Redell Olsen’s work. I can only visit every few months, so please say when the display ends.