Whittington: The Man, The Myth and The Cat

The first Guildhall Library was founded in 1425 with money left in the will of Richard Whittington.

Over six centuries the story of an astute late medieval merchant, politician and philanthropist evolved into a rags-to-riches tale of penniless orphan who came by wealth and fame with the help of his cat.

This exhibition examines that transformation, featuring chapbooks, children’s books, works relating to pantomimes and of course cats. Most of the items in the exhibition were donated to the library by Ellery Yale Wood in 2016. These items form the core of our Whittington collection.