New Summer Exhibition Focuses on Rain in Literature

Rain is the subject of the National Library of Scotland’s forthcoming major exhibition including a copy of 18th century Scottish scientist James Hutton’s Theory of Rain and rain in the poetry of Robert Burns.

The exhibition will showcase the breadth of the collections, spanning poetry, literature, maps, music, moving image, sound, science and climate-related material. Rain will also be explored as a facet of Scotland’s industry and exports, including the myths that are told about Scotland’s weather and landscapes.

Highlights include:

• an original 1952 press book from the film Singin’ in the Rain
• a vintage map of Scotland’s whisky distilleries, complete with tartan trim
• a handwritten 19th century recipe book which features a recipe for waterproofing clothes, with the author declaring that umbrellas “in windy weather, are worse than useless!”

“Rain is so pervasive in our lives in Scotland that it is no surprise it is everywhere in the collections," said Director of Collections, Access and Research, Alison Stevenson. "Love it or hate it, rain features heavily in poetry and prose, as well as our music collections. It’s the subject of countless science books and personal diary entries. It’s often the leading headline in the newspaper and TV news collections, whether there’s too much or too little. There are many terms and references for rain in our three main languages.” 

Rain opens on June 19 and will run until April 2027.