Past Exhibitions
Find out more about our past exhibitions.
Norman Cornish
This exhibition of little seen sketchbooks presented a new dimension to the artist’s practice.
Wild
This exhibition showed how animals have adapted to live and thrive in the varied environments of the British Isles.
Catch Your Breath
Catch Your Breath was a temporary exhibition exploring the Life of Breath research project, jointly led by Durham University and the University of Bristol.
Bodies of Evidence
This exhibition revealed how pieces of a complex jigsaw of evidence were put together to establish information on two mass burials discovered near Palace Green Library.
Dante
This exhibition followed the story of Dante’s The Divine Comedy, and included books and manuscripts from the internationally renowned collections of Mr Livio Ambrogio.
Between Worlds
This temporary exhibition took its inspiration from medieval romance, ballads, and collections of folklore, presenting a forgotten type of fairy tale.
Time Machines
This exhibition invited visitors to journey through time to learn how advances in science allowed authors like HG Wells to write about future worlds.
Northern Poets
Originally shown at Woodhorn, this exhibition was influenced by the Northern Poetry Library and Palace Green Library collections.
Hearing Voices
This exhibition was based on the work of Hearing the Voice, a large interdisciplinary study of voice-hearing based at Durham University and funded by the Wellcome Trust.
Somme 1916
100 years on, this commemorative exhibition explored the reality of the Battle of the Somme through the eyes of the people from County Durham who were there.
Antarctica
A series of exhibitions, including historic photographs of Scott’s ill-fated Antarctic expedition, and the work of Durham University researchers in Antarctica.
Rugby World Cup
This display showcased match balls from the England team’s campaign and spectacular victory at the 2003 Rugby World Cup tournament.
Magna Carta
This exhibition explored the Magna Carta as part of a long history of the contested identity of the citizen.
Vietnam: A Nation, Not A War
This exhibition mixed historic and contemporary objects from Vietnam with contemporary works by British artist Anthony Key.
On Seeing The Author
This exhibition explored how people have imagined ancient authors over time, focussing on Cosin’s Library; a 17th century building decorated with portraits of authors.
Face to Face Encounters
This exhibition in Cosin’s Library was the result of a commission of author portraits by photographer Julian Germain, contributing to the On Seeing the Author exhibition.
Bound to Last
Visitors to this exhibition explored the history of bookbinding, discovered how books are put together and just how recent the ‘ready-bound’ book really is.
Books for Boys
The exhibition celebrated a golden age of books for children, including tales of real-life heroes, early spy novels, and popular classics such as ‘Scouting for Boys’.
Off the Wall
Curated by Durham University’s Oriental Museum, using their collection of Japanese movie posters, the exhibition explored this world of bold and playful graphic design.
The Seven Treasures
This exhibition presented a complete picture of one of Japan’s most exquisite art forms, Cloisonné, featuring exquisite enamels on loan from the V&A.
Robot
A thrilling exhibition of robots, cyborgs and androids, including an event where robots battled on stage in front of an excited family audience.
The Lindisfarne Gospels
This exhibition led visitors on an exploration of the meaning and contexts of the book, including learning how and why this masterpiece was created.
The Birth of Buddhism
Presenting the story of the birth and life of Siddhartha Gautama, later recognised as the Buddha, and the early spread of Buddhism in South Asia.
The Practical Art of Medicine
How medicine developed from ancient, entrenched theories to the knowledge of anatomy, plus the method of diagnosis and nature of treatment more recognisable to us today.
Restoration
The exhibition celebrated Bishop Cosin's life and achievements through the difficult years of the English Civil War and into the Restoration period.
Outrageously Modern
Visitors entered the world of late 19th century publishing and explored a range of ground-breaking and, in some cases, notorious literary and art magazines.
Historic Views of Durham
This exhibition brought together a series of historic views of the city to celebrate Palace Green’s 25 years as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
John Stainer - A Life in Music
The exhibition celebrated the contribution that John Stainer made to the musical life of Victorian Britain and the legacy of his work in music today.
Thomas Wright of Durham
This exhibition marked the 300th anniversary of Thomas Wright’s birth and tells the story of the life and achievements of this true local hero.
The Return of the First Folio
A rare Shakespeare First Folio, stolen from Durham University in 1998, was displayed in our opening Spotlight exhibition for the first time since its theft.