In the week of the Scottish independence referendum, we've unearthed some illustrations of texts from our collection which offer a compelling insight into Scottish cultural identity in the nineteenth century .

From The Children of the Mist; or, the Scottish clansmen in peace and war (Edinburgh, 1890)

'The First Meeting of Prince Charles with Flora Macdonald', from Pictures and Royal Portraits illustrative of English and Scottish History (London, 1878)

From The History of Scotland; from the earliest period to the present time
(London; New York: London Printing & Publishing Co., [1873, 74])

From The Works and Correspondence of Robert Burns (Glasgow: William Mackenzie, 1866)

From The Scottish Gaël; or, Celtic Manners, as preserved among the Highlanders: being an historical and descriptive account of the inhabitants, antiquities and national peculiarities of Scotland (London: 1831)

Prompted by the discovery this week of one of the ships from John Franklin's Arctic expedition (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-29131757), we've found some fascinating images in our collection of the subsequent search, which continued until 1859.

From Sir Richard Collinson, Journal of H.M.S. Enterprise, on the expedition in search of Sir John Franklin's ships by Behring Strait. 1850-55. By Captain R. Collinson (London, 1889)

From, Sir Edward Augustus Inglefield, A Summer Search for Sir John Franklin; with a Peep into the Polar Basin ... With short notices, by Professor Dickie, on the Botany, and by Dr. Sutherland, on the Meteorology and Geology; and a new chart of the Arctic Sea (London, 1853)

From William Hulme Hooper, Ten months among the tents of the Tuski, with incidents of an Arctic Boat Expedition in search of Sir John Franklin, as far as the Mackenzie River and Cape Bathurst (London, 1853)

From Francis Leopold M'Clintock, The Voyage of the “Fox” in the Arctic Seas. A narrative of the discovery of the fate of Sir John Franklin and his companions (London, 1859)

From Francis Watt and Andrew Carter, Picturesque Scotland, its Romantic Scenes and Historical Associations, Described in Lay and Legend, Song and Story (London: Sangster, 1997)

British Library Catalogue

From Antwerp Edgar Pratt, To the Snows of Tibet through China ... With illustrations and a map (London: Longmans, 1892)
British Library Catalogue

From Merry Little Tales for Merry Little Hearts (London: Leipsic, [1853])
British Library Public Catalogue

From Joseph Hatton, Henry Irving's Impressions of America, narrated in a series of sketches, chronicles, and conversations, 2 vols (London: Sampson and Low, 1884), II, 285
British Library Catalogue

From Richard Phillips, Modern London; Being the History and Present State of the British Metropolis (London: 1804), p. 57.
Caption: 'Cat's and Dog's Meat!'
British Library Catalogue

From Richard Aldworth Oliver, Drawings and Sketches in New Zealand (London, 1853)
Caption: '(Drawing no.121) An officer and sailor with natives on board a ship'
British Library Catalogue

From Margaret Moyes Black, A Most Provoking Girl. A Tale of the East Coast (Edinburgh and London, 1896), p. 7.
British Library Catalogue

From William Henry Pyne, The Microcosm of London, illust. by Thomas Rowlandson; A. C. Pugin (London 1808-1811).
Notes: Fire at Albion Mill, Blackfriars Bridge. The Albion flour-mill was one of  the earliest all-iron plants, completed in 1769 to the design of Robert Mylne. The fire occured on 3 March 1791.