Explore York Archive

21/08/2025

Workmen from J.W. Knowles and Sons decorating the interior of a church, early 20thC. 🎨

J.W. Knowles and Sons were a family firm of glass painters, restorers and church decorators based in Stonegate, York. The business was founded by John Ward Knowles (1838-1931) in around 1861.

15/08/2025

We've got whole heap of historic OS maps in the book sale at York Explore. The book sale ends on 24th August so pop in and grab a bargain! 📚🗺️

13/08/2025

Great to see the staff at Explore: Acomb Library Learning Centre featuring on the BBC.

The six-year-old cat has become the unofficial and much-loved mascot at a York Library.

12/08/2025

🚨New blog post!🚨

Our new blog post is up. Looking at the history of one of York's most recognisable buildings by Emma, one of our amazing placement students.

https://citymakinghistory.org/2025/08/11/yorks-built-heritage-a-closer-look-at-the-judges-lodging/

This blogpost was written by Emma Darbyshire, one of our wonderful placement students from York St John University. Emma was part of a group working with some of our photographic collections here a…

11/08/2025

Next week the reading room will be closed as part of our Setting the Record Straight project.

To find out more about setting the record straight and upcoming closure dates take a look at the dedicated page on our website below.

https://exploreyork.org.uk/archives/setting-the-record-straight/

08/08/2025

It's today🐈.

To celebrate our feline friends we are sharing this poem and lovely woodcut from the 'Silver Penny' (CBK/1/64), a 'penny book' from our collection of Chapbooks.

The Chapbooks were printed and sold in York by James Kendrew, a printer based in Colliergate, in the first quarter of the 19th century.

07/08/2025

A group of children looking in to the window of Arthur Hemmen's shop on North Street, c.1920's. (archive ref: y942_741_hem_18).

06/08/2025

The Explore Your Archive theme for August is humour and to celebrate we are sharing an amazing project.

'Time Travel radio' combined stories from Manor Court records from the 1680's and community magazines from the 1980's to showcase the humour that can be found in archive collections.

'Time Travel Radio' was a History Misbehaves production made by Acomb residents at Acomb Explore Library with guidance from Paul Birch at Riding Lights Theatre Company and Kate Valentine from Digital Drama .

Jorvik Radio’s Nick Love interviews writer Paul Birch and director Kate Valentine to uncover the creative process behind the acclaimed audio drama. From digg...

24/07/2025

🚨Big Cat Alert!🚨🐯

You never know what you will find stalking in your archive when you are repackaging collections.

All folders should feature a lovely animal and some fun facts!

18/07/2025

The Black Swan pub on Peaseholme Green in the 1880s and again in 1950s.

15/07/2025

The Hospitium in Museum Gardens in the 1870s. The Hospitium was part of St Mary's Abbey and used for the reception and accommodation of guests. The lower room was probably the refectory and the upper room probably the dormitory.

10/07/2025

King's Square looking towards the entrance to the Shambles, taken in 1930s.