The UK’s National Trust is commentating the centenary of Lord Alexander Peckover’s death, bringing back for display valuable parts of a now dispersed rare book collection, offering a window into the past and a vivid portrait of the collector and his world.

While the National Trust, one of the UK’s largest charities, is mainly devoted to the natural and historic heritage of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland through preserving and maintaining lands and properties, it has recently turned its attention to its sizeable collection of nearly 400,000 thousand books.

As part of that effort, its exhibit at the Peckover House, Lord Peckover’s Lost Library (through November 17th), temporarily gathers under one roof some of the rare books that had once belonged to Lord Alexander Peckover’s library but later passed into the hands of private collectors when his home was acquired by the Trust in 1948. On display are parts of a collection that spanned everything from early medieval manuscripts to lavishly illustrated atlases. Through the items exhibited, the Trust aims to “tell the story” of Lord Peckover, letting the books provide a reflection of a collector and his interests, whether that be the Quacker faith or the collection of ancient manuscripts.    

Along with the Blickling Lake exhibit (see our post for more information), this exhibit represents the growing awareness that rare books can continue to bridge the past and the present when presented in new and meaningful ways. For more information about the exhibit, check out the announcement here, and of course, if you can, don’t forget to check it out in person too!