GOTHIC aspects to two of East Lancashire's most intriguing museum collections will be placed under the microscope today.

Lecturer Dr Cynthia Johnson will explore the darker side of the Hart books collection, one of Blackburn Museum's standing exhibitions.

And in the same Nature of Gothic talk, hosted by the Friends of Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery at the venue from 2pm, Dr Johnson is also set to focus on related influences on the Kay Shuttleworth collection at Padiham's Gawthorpe Hall.

The manuscripts collection at Blackburn was bequeathed to the institution by local ropemaker Robert Edward Hart and includes the Psalters and Books of Hours .

Museum officials say his collection also incorporates some of the earliest printed books, by William Caxton and a page from the Gutenberg bible, and examples from William Morris’ Kelmscott Press.

And the textiles collection was brought together by Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth, the last of the Shuttleworth family to reside at Gawthorpe Hall, now owned by the National Trust. The philanthropist was inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement and was as renowned teacher.

A friends spokesman said: "We welcome the return of Dr Cynthia Johnson, senior lecturer in History of the Book at the School of Advanced Studies, University of London.

"She will explore Gothic aspects of the Kay-Shuttleworth Textiles at Gawthorpe Hall and the Hart Rare Book Collections."

The museum event is free to members and admission is £2.50 to non-members.