About this blog

The British Library’s collections contain stories of people’s lives worldwide, from the dawn of history to the present day. They are told through the written word, images, audio-visual and digital materials. The Untold Lives blog shares those stories, providing fascinating and unusual insights into the past and bringing out from the shadows lives that have been overlooked or forgotten

We hope to inspire new research and encourage enjoyment, knowledge and understanding of the British Library and its collections. In addition to stories from the past, we give glimpses of the hidden life of the Library and provide information about events and exhibitions. The blog contains many links to act as signposts to research information and online resources that you can explore for work or pleasure.

The Untold Lives blog is managed by the Western Heritage Collection but includes contributions from colleagues across the Library, partners in collaborative projects, and guest bloggers. To get in touch with the authors, please email [email protected].

Written by Margaret Makepeace and colleagues

All text is © British Library Board and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence, except where otherwise stated.