If animals and birds are your thing you may be interested in these two exhibitions in Oxford which I visited at the beginning of May.

The Wonder of Birds exhibition at the Weston Library contains many fine examples of depictions of birds through the ages from the Bodleian’s vast collections of manuscripts.

There was even an egg of the Great Auk on display; these birds are now extinct, the last two being killed near Iceland in 1844.

There was also a copy of John James Audubon’s Birds of America; his life-sized drawing of an osprey in mid-flight with a fish in its talons was stunning.

Apparently, feathers were important symbols of wealth and power; a page from the Codex Mendoza showed the tribute of one province to the Aztec emperor which included warrior costumes trimmed with highly prized feathers.

If you’re fascinated by birds or are concerned about the rapid decline of many bird species, this is an informative and thought provoking exhibition running until 3 January 2027.

Now, on to the Pets and Their People exhibition, which is also at the Weston Library (part of the Bodleian Libraries).

The first exhibit really said it all; dogs have been part of family life for hundreds of years, as shown by a beautiful illumination in a 16th century Book of Hours.

In the lower margin a dog sits by a child. I couldn’t help thinking that the dog had its eyes on the food that the child was about to eat. We’ve all seen that pleading look, haven’t we?

Also on show was one of the earliest examples of an assistance dog; a 14th century Flemish Psalter contains a depiction of a dog holding an alms bowl for his master, a blind beggar.

On a lighter note, there was a copy of A Guinea Pig Pride & Prejudice; can’t say that I’ve imagined Mr Darcy as a guinea pig!

I’ll leave you with some images that took my fancy, from Kenneth Grahame’s letter to his son about toad, whose adventures became the basis of Wind in the Willows, Tenniel’s illustration of the Cheshire Cat in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and what is possibly the first known record of throwing a stick for a dog drawn by William Stukeley.

If you have pets, or even if you don’t, you’re bound to find something of interest in this wide-ranging exhibition, which is free to enter and runs until 27 September 2026.