The Bodleian Library in Oxford is one of the oldest and most respected libraries in the world: it’s holdings comprise more than 12 million printed items, over 80,000 e-journals and outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.  Last weekend they opened a small exhibition in Blackwell Hall in the Western Library, called “Playing with History”, to celebrate Richard Ballam’s donation of 1,500 games dating from 1800 to the John Johnson Collection.

– Image from bodleian.ox.ac.uk

The exhibition is accompanied by a lunchtime seminar on Wednesday 20^th January.  The seminar entitled “Games we Played” will be presented by Richard Ballam who will talk about the collections of games and pastimes in his donation to the Bodleian.  The lecture starts at 1pm and the display will be on show until 6^th March 2016 (admission free of charge).