Exhibitions

Our exhibitions provide a shop window on the Library’s remarkable collections, creating compelling stories and presenting engaging new ways of looking at the world of ideas.

Upcoming exhibition

The Georgians
November 2013 - March 2014

The Georgians exhibition will examine the extensive cultural and societal changes in Britain during the reigns of George I, II, III and IV (1714 – 1830) and will mark the 300th anniversary of the arrival of the House of Hanover and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy which is still in place today. Visually stunning, The Georgians will be the must-see exhibition.


Current exhibitions

Propaganda: Power and Persuasion
17 May – 17 September 2013

Misinformation, disinformation, public service announcements, call propaganda what you like – the battle for your hearts and minds is fought with posters, films, cartoons, textbooks, tweets and sounds. See them exposed in all their beautiful, terrible glory at this world first – an exhibition lifting the lid on the ways governments across the planet have attempted to influence your thoughts for over 100 years.


Poetry in Sound: The Music of Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976)
31 May – 15 September 2013



Benjamin Britten is often described as the greatest English composer since Purcell. This exhibition explores the poetic and literary influences on his distinctive musical sound world, including his creative collaboration with W H Auden and his settings of texts by such authors as William Blake and William Shakespeare.