Curator's choice

Francine Millard an OPU curator tells me about her choice.

“I chose ‘Farm fires’ because it represents many Official Publications which have colourful illustrated covers. MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) was dissolved in 2002 when its responsibilities became part of the Department of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs (Defra). Having grown up in rural Lancashire among a menagerie of chickens, goats, ponies, cats and dogs, I have a particularly like publications on farm and animal management.

‘Make your own Egyptian mummy case’ is a British Museum item which I liked not just because of its subject, but because it was an interesting item to catalogue. Its format is ‘visual material.’ It is never to be made, so it is preserved exactly as it was when it arrived in the Library. It is similar to the real British Museum sarcophagi as it will be kept safe for future generations.

Finally, I chose ‘Pandemic flu: important information for you and your family’ because in 2005 governments were considering the danger H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) if it evolved the ability to spread from human to human. The Welsh Assembly Government, who produced this leaflet in Welsh and English, issued many such publications. These will be important to future epidemiologists and history of medicine scholars who will be able to construct early 21st century reactions to infectious disease.”