Paper Gallery

Code and Cypher Officer, c1943. Creator: Cecil Beaton

Code and Cypher Officer, c1943. The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), whose members were referred to as WAAFs, was the female auxiliary of the British Royal Air Force during World War II. Its members did not serve as aircrew, but although they did not participate in active combat, they were exposed to the same dangers as any on the home front working at military installations. Among their duties were: crewing of barrage balloons, catering, meteorology, radar, aircraft maintenance, transport, communications duties including wireless telephonic and telegraphic operation. At its peak strength, in 1943, the number of WAAFs (members of the force) exceeded 180,000, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week. From "Wings On Her Shoulders", by Katharine Bentley Beauman, Late Fight Officer W.A.A.F. [Hutchinson & Co Ltd, London, New York, Melbourne, c1943]

© The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Letter of Cesario, abbot of Santa Cecilia de Montserrat, notifying the Pope of Rome

Letter of Cesario, abbot of Santa Cecilia de Montserrat, notifying the Pope of Rome, John XIII, thas has been ordained archbishop of Tarragona. To Cesario is granted the ecclesiastical province of Tarragona with its 15 suffragan dioceses. Document on parchment, copy of the original letter dated between 970-990

The worlds earliest surviving printed book: a wood-block printed version of the Diamond Sutra

The world's earliest surviving printed book: a wood-block printed version of the Diamond Sutra. The sutra consists of individual sheets of printed text and a frontispiece illustrating the Buddha surrounded by acolytes and disciples. Country of Origin: China. Culture: Tang dynasty, Date: 868 AD, Place of Origin: Dunhuang Buddhist cave temples. Size: Length of scroll / 5m. Credit Line: Werner Forman Archive/ British Library, London . Location: 10

© Werner Forman Archive / Heritage-Images