Border from BL YT 38, f. 1 - Public domain medieval manuscript

Detail of a section of the full border inhabited by animals (peacock, lion, bear, goat, roe deer, birds) and putti, from Livy's De Secundo Bello Punic, with heraldic arms. Image taken from f. 1 of De Secundo Bello Punico. 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.