Images Dated 29th July 2005

Scene from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 1843. Artist: John Leech

Scene from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 1843. The irascible, curmudgeonly Ebenezer Scrooge, sitting alone on Christmas Eve, is visited by the ghost of Marley, his late business partner. The same night he is visited by three more apparitions, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future, whose revelations cause him to wake on Christmas Day a changed man. He sends a turkey to Bob Cratchit his clerk, thoroughly enjoys the festivities and becomes a kindly, jolly old man. From A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. (London, 1843). This was the first in the series of five Christmas books Dickens published

© Ann Ronan Picture Library / Heritage-Images

May, 1412-1416. Artist: Paul Limbourg

May, 1412-1416. Lords and ladies, mounted, progressing along a road by woods, preceded by trumpeters. They are taking part in a procession to celebrate the joli mois de mai, some of them dressed in green garments traditionally worn for the occasion. At the top are the two zodiacal signs for May; Taurus and Gemini. From Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, a book of hours produced for Jean, Duke of Berry by the Limbourg brothers. It is regarded as one of the finest examples of European manuscript illumination. From the Musee Condee, Chantilly, France

© Ann Ronan Picture Library / Heritage-Images

Grand Junction Canal from Stow Hill near Upper Heyford, Northamptonshire, 1819. Artist: John Hassell

Grand Junction Canal from Stow Hill near Upper Heyford, Northamptonshire, 1819. A lime kiln can be seen in the centre of the picture. Lime became important to agriculture, building (urban expansion at this time) and the growing chemical industry. The Grand Junction Canal was part of the network linking London with the Midlands manufacturing towns, and with Liverpool. The canal was built between 1793 and 1805, with William Jessop as its chief engineer, and James Barnes as resident engineer responsible for most of the day to day construction. It was originally planned to build the canal from Braunston to the Thames at Brentford, but in 1794 it was decided to build a branch to Paddington, which was much closer to central London. From Tour of the Grand Junction by J Hassell, 1819

© Ann Ronan Picture Library / Heritage-Images