Antique books returned to Leeds library - 50 years after being borrowed
The two texts by a 19th Century geologist turned up in a charity shop
Two antique library books by an esteemed 19th-century geologist have been returned to Leeds Central Library 50 years after they were due back.
Volumes I and II of "Geology and Mineralogy," by Rev. William Buckland, were written nearly 200 years ago,
Both were recently rediscovered in a charity shop in Beverley - having been borrowed in March 1976 and never returned.
The shop contacted the library, facilitating the books' return home to Leeds where they are undergoing checks by experts.
The Geology and Mineralogy books, authored in 1836, contain detailed drawings of fossils and prehistoric creatures whose origins were emerging in scientific study at the time.
Rev. Buckland was pivotal in early geology and palaeontology, writing the first full account of a fossilised dinosaur in 1824 and demonstrating Kirkdale Cave's status as a prehistoric hyena den.
Sally Hughes, librarian at Leeds Central Library, said: “It was a huge surprise to find out that these beautiful books had somehow turned up in such an unlikely place after all these years and we’re delighted to have them back home at the library, even if they are half a century late."
“We’ll never know who it was who borrowed them and why, but it speaks volumes about how interesting and influential Rev. Buckland’s observations were that enthusiasts were clearly still keen to read them more than a century after they were written.
“Preserving books like these as part of our collection helps us build a permanent archive of the different ways scientific knowledge has changed and evolved over the centuries. Hopefully now they’re back, they can continue to inspire readers and visitors for many more years to come.”