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COLLECTION STORY

The Little Gidding Concordance

The story behind one of the treasures of the Royal Library

Detail from the title page of the Little Gidding Concordance

This grand and enormous book is one of the treasures of the Royal Library.

Created for Charles II when he was Prince of Wales by a religious community called Little Gidding, it is entirely made up of collaged books and prints. It is sumptuously bound in purple velvet and decorated with gold tooling.

Totally unique and one of only a handful of books made by the community, the Little Gidding concordance is both impressive and beautiful to look at, and historically very important.

This research was undertaken by Rebecca Whiteley as part of a curatorial internship in the Royal Library, 2013-14.

The community at Little Gidding

The community thrived at Little Gidding between 1625 and the 1640s

Bound cover of a volume
The provenance of the Royal Library's Concordance

The Windsor copy is the last, and largest, made by the community

The contents of the Royal Library's Concordance

The Windsor concordance is the most structurally complex

The purpose of the Royal Library's Concordance

The Concordance deals with the relationship of the New Testament to the Old

The illustrations

Religious imagery was a contentious subject

Summary

The Concordances are fascinating evidence of the way the community worked


The income from your ticket contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities.