The River Thames flows through the York Gate Library

Come and see the picturesque images of the River Thames in England in our books from the 1790s onwards.

Note change of venue: Circulating Library room at the front (North Terrace side) of the Institute Building

Boydell published in 1790 a two volume History of the Thames with magnificent drawings of the river and the localities to be seen from it. In 1840 Tombleson created a wonderful strip map of the Thames from its beginning near Cirencester to where it meets the sea. Another absolute gem is a Dictionary of the Thames written in 1890 by none other than the celebrated author Charles Dickens. He includes details such as the cost of a trip between various points on the river, and also how to buy a licence to operate such a boat on the river, as well as maps and information on many towns along its banks.

This is the basis on which the presentation will unfold.