Behind Closed Doors: Exploring Archives and Special Collections and the Earth, Sea, Sky Exhibition

Behind Closed Doors is running at Hartley Library on Monday 14 September, with two more slots on Tuesday 15 September. It's a guided tour of the University of Southampton Archives and Special Collections, and it takes you where you wouldn't normally get to go: through the strongrooms and into the Conservation studio, and finally into the Earth, Sea and Sky exhibition.

The exhibition itself is built around the work of citizen scientists. There's the Reverend Gilbert White, whose observations influenced Charles Darwin, alongside nautical charts from Arctic expeditions recorded by William Mogg. You'll also find the deep-sea archaeology of the Punic ship excavated in Marsala, a project Honor Frost played a significant role in. It's a wide-ranging spread, from 18th-century nature watching to Arctic charting and ancient shipwrecks, all held in the same collection.

There's a more local thread running through it too. The archives hold pomological treasures — seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth-century guides to fruit cultivation, instructions on cider making, and recipes like apple tansy. That leads into the story of the Beauty of Bitterne, a super-rare local apple variety. Curator talks and a self-guided treasure hunt accompany the tour, so you're not just walking through; you'll be hearing the stories behind the objects as you go.

The whole thing runs for about an hour and a half, with a maximum of 15 people per group, and you'll need to pre-book. It's part of the Heritage Open Days programme. On Monday 14 September, it runs from 11:00 to 12:00. On Tuesday 15 September, there are two slots: 11:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 15:00. You'll find it on Level 4 of Hartley Library, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, Hampshire, SO17 1BJ.