Birds and Lake of Fire from BL YT 10, f. 33v

Miniature of an angel standing on the sun and calling all birds to eat the flesh of men (the birds include a peacock, a hawk, a raven, a dove, a cockerel, a pelican, and an owl), from Revelation 19:17-18; miniature of an angel casting the beast and the false prophet into the lake of fire, from Revelation 19:20-21. Image taken from f. 33v of Apocalypse (Revelation). Written in 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.