The British Library
Stephanie is an avid book lover, so the British Library was a must-see destination. It turned out to be so much more than either of us expected. They have millions of documents of all types dating back many centuries—fascinating!
Entering the British Library with the elegant St. Pancras Station in the background
The entrance hall of the British Library
The Library has five floors of exhibits, reading rooms, and other features, but the curators have collected the most popular items in a single gallery on the first floor for easy viewing. We spent most of our time there.
Mozart's original score of his String Quartet in D Major, K. 575, 1789
A Gutenberg Bible c. 1455. The text was printed using moveable type, with the margin decorations added by hand.
They have a lot of stuff besides books and manuscripts, including letters, maps, a massive stamp collection, and artifacts. They also have a cafe, bookstore, and a members-only lounge with a full bar that I inadvertently wandered into.
At the center of the library is the King’s Library, collected by King George III and donated to Britain by King George IV in 1873. The King’s Library is housed in a climate-controlled glass building-within-a-building rising five stories high.
A replica of Gutenberg's 15th-century printing press
The King's Library—more books than Powell's!
The Magna Carta (Great Charter) of 1215 established the principle that everyone, even the king, was subject to the rule of law. This remained a foundational principle of British and U.S. law until 2024, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. president can be immune from prosecution for certain crimes.
On a more modern note, we have a John Lennon manuscript containing some of the lyrics for his song In My Life
I couldn't resist including this manuscript from 17th-century Japan. The story tells of a courtier who is sent forth by the Emperor to find the source of the sound of some beautiful flute playing.