At promptly 8:36 we set off for the British LIbrary! As our buses and the rest of the world pulled into London, some recapped their favorite Arnold Schwarzenegger lines, while others sat quietly frustrated with wonderful traffic. At 10:20, a brisk 64 degrees and clouds gladly rushed inside.However, before we could go inside, the typical “jumping picture” had to be taken. I would like to note that May has no “ups”, but you can’t hate her effort. Never stop jumping for the stars, girl. Upon entering, we were greeted by a grand staircase ahead and book store to our left. After putting our belongings inside the Fort Knox of lockers (some would later wait for one of the lockers to open so they could eat), we received a quick overview of the King’s library.
In the heart of the library, lays a giant bookcase housing King George II’s collection. Apparently, we were not special enough to go in, as a strict sign informed me we had no access! So, staring up in awe at all the old and new pieces that George II added to his Royal Book Collection would have to do. There are over 150 million items in the British Library and most are kept underground. Avivia painted a beautiful imagine telling us that all of London was walking on books and history. She said that if you are in the Underground at King's Cross you are directly next to some of the library's books, only with a very large wall dividing you. Who knew!?
Next came the real fun: splitting into two groups we were led into the Treasures Gallery. Unaware that an obsession was blossoming between many of the ladies and Jullian, I chose Avivia (Literary and Historical Specialist) as my tour guide. With your typical British smile, Avivia introduced us to some of the greatest “gems” in history. Sharing our wonderful experience was a random tour hopper (don’t think we didn’t notice, sir)!
Key works we saw:
In the heart of the library, lays a giant bookcase housing King George II’s collection. Apparently, we were not special enough to go in, as a strict sign informed me we had no access! So, staring up in awe at all the old and new pieces that George II added to his Royal Book Collection would have to do. There are over 150 million items in the British Library and most are kept underground. Avivia painted a beautiful imagine telling us that all of London was walking on books and history. She said that if you are in the Underground at King's Cross you are directly next to some of the library's books, only with a very large wall dividing you. Who knew!?
Next came the real fun: splitting into two groups we were led into the Treasures Gallery. Unaware that an obsession was blossoming between many of the ladies and Jullian, I chose Avivia (Literary and Historical Specialist) as my tour guide. With your typical British smile, Avivia introduced us to some of the greatest “gems” in history. Sharing our wonderful experience was a random tour hopper (don’t think we didn’t notice, sir)!
Key works we saw:
- The Beowulf Manuscript, 11th century,
- The Magna Carta from 1215,
- A Mamluk Qur’an from 14th century Egypt,
- An original Gutenberg Bible from 1454,
- Aesop, Fables printed by William Caxton in 1484,
- Tyndale’s New Testament from about 1526,
- Shakespeare’s First Folio from 1623,
- Handel’s Messiah, composed 1741,
- letters of famous people like Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Dickens, and
- original, handwritten Beatles lyric notes (written on everything from cards to envelope backs).