Visitation from BL YT 30, f. 20v

Detail of a miniature of the Visitiation shown as taking place in Florence, in front of the church of San Giovannino, with the Medici Palace on the right and a view up the Via Gori in the background, at the beginning of Lauds in the Hours of the Virgin. Image taken from f. 20v of Book of Hours ('The Hours of Laudomia de' Medici'). Written in Latin.

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.