‘I Didn’t Know Crabs Had Tails’: Children’s Contributions to Balliol College and its Historic Collections

A Balliol Library exhibition exploring children's contributions to the college, from printing-press apprentices to young letter writers like Florence Nightingale.

This exhibition at Balliol's Historic Collections Centre examines the often-overlooked role of young people in the college's history, from the poor scholars of its early foundation to the 'inky devils' who worked the printing presses behind its early modern library. Displays include letters written by eight-year-old Florence Nightingale, children's tales such as 'Grand Motor-Racing Story: Thunderbolt Tim' and 'The Story of a Mouse Told by Itself', early 19th-century satire, and material from the Balliol playgroup and day nursery. The exhibition is open 11am–4pm on selected dates (3 and 27 November, 2 and 6 December) and by appointment via the library.