Annuciation to the Shepherds from BL YT 13, f. 89v

Bas-de-page scene of the Annuciation to the Shepherds. A scroll emerges from a shepherd’s mouth, with the inscription, 'gloris i[n] excelsis deo', and a caption beneath reading , 'Cy vient laungel a les pastoris'. Image taken from f. 89v of Book of Hours, Use of Sarum ('The Taymouth Hours'). Written in Latin and French.

Henry Yates Thompson (1838-1928) was a British collector and philanthropist who assembled this remarkable collection over his lifetime. The collection is now housed at the British Library in London.

Henry Yates Thompson was born into a wealthy family in 1838. Thompson began collecting manuscripts and other items in the 1870s. His collection quickly gained recognition for its exceptional quality and breadth. He had a keen eye for illuminated manuscripts, which are manuscripts decorated with intricate illustrations and calligraphy. The collection has a particular emphasis on medieval manuscripts.