This England: This Library Is More than Books!

So, what did we do on our first full day out in London? We went to the library!

And believe me, the British Library is no ordinary library. Yes, there are books (although you have to get a special pass to the reading room to actually touch one, except in one of the two gift shops). But there is so much more!

With its collection of between 170 and 200 million items from around the world, the British Library is one of the largest in the world, and one that includes a remarkable collection of "treasures," which we'll check out below. 

 

The library is open to all who need to use its collections. One must get a Reader Pass, which both Rick and I did. This allows us access to various collections and in Rick's case, it was the Map collection. 

When we went to England in 2018 we did some digging into my ancestry. This trip was Rick's turn. He was interested in knowing about an ancestor on his mother's side and an island with the family name -- Acklin Island. So, we both got reading room cards and headed up to the Map Room to see what we could learn about this island in the Caribbean near the Bahamas. 

This room is filled with books -- and very helpful people. We met Nicola and Hedya, the two reference librarians, and they were amazing, ordering up large books of maps for Rick and helping him find additional materials online.

I could tell Rick would be there a very long time and there was much to explore in the library so I was off to the Treasure Room. And the name is not overstated one bit!

This room (admission free, as is the library) is a collection of remarkable artifacts from the worlds of history, music, literature, religion, science and much more. For example, one of the first things I saw when I entered was a collection of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, showing some of his inventions. Next to that was a case with Shakespeare's first and second folios. 

 Music by Mozart? Hayden? You'll find it there.

Beethoven's there, too.

 

Chaucer's Canterbury Tales? Beowulf? -- all in the authors' own hands, along a first edition of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre? Oscar Wilde's work is an early handwritten draft of "The Importance of Being Earnest."

Of course it's not just old things -- there is a drawing by John Lennon from an unsent letter to Stuart Sutcliffe, the original bassist for the Beatles. The letter is a somewhat rambling note to a much missed friend, as Sutcliffe stayed in Germany when the rest of the group returned to England.

 . . . and his draft of "In My Life." 

 

Michael Palin's script for "The Spanish Inquisition" sketch is included in a tribute to the Pythons.

There is an impressive collection of Bibles, including The Gutenberg Bible, the first large-scale book printed in Europe in 1455. The copy in the British Library was printed on paper with the colorful illustrations decorated by hand. The library has another copy printed on vellum not on display.

There are many bibles on display, including a King James early edition. I'm not sure what the ones below are -- I just know they were beautiful.

 

The Magna Carta is considered one of the world's most famous documents. It was created during the reign of King John, who held an extreme disregard for justice. That led the barons to seek a charter to defend themselves. In 1215, following negotiations at Runnymede, the Magna Carta was created, limiting unjust and arbitrary behavior by the king. It established the principle that everyone was subject to the rule of law. This was one thousand years before the United States Supreme Court decided that one person was indeed above the law. (The Magna Carta creators have probably turned over in their graves.) While most of the clauses of the Magna Carta were repealed, it remains to this day the cornerstone of the British constitution. (And it is almost impossible to photograph!)

From first entrance to the time we left, we found the British Library a wonderful experience. (Rick even returned before we left, as the librarians graciously found him additional books to peruse.)

That evening we decided to do something "closer to home" and take in a play at the Hampstead Theatre, located less than a block from our hotel. The theatre has a storied history and many of the best known names in theatre and film have performed on its stages. The list of names is a Who's Who of theatre, although we didn't see any of those in this performance.

Committed to producing new plays and developing emerging talent, we saw a show called "Bellringers" about two church bell ringers who were waiting out a terrible storm in the bell tower. It was a two person play and beautifully acted and staged and the sound was -- well, like being in a terrible storm. But it was a tad intense and a little odd. Let's say I won't be recommending it to our local theatres for their upcoming season!

They also have a nice selection of sandwiches and pastries and a bar. That dining part came in handy one night when we were running late and just wanted a sandwich! 

All in all, a good first day!

Travel Tips:

• The British Library is about a block from the St. Pancras/King's Cross Tube. It is free for research or to view the treasures room. They also have special exhibits with a fee, and you can purchase tickets for those on site. You won't want to miss the bookstore or the gift shop. The gift shop includes a complete selection of the British Library Crime Classics mysteries, which is how my suitcase gained about three pounds. They have a serviceable cafe and plenty of restrooms, along with free wifi.
  
• If you want to do research at the British Library, be sure to bring along your picture ID -- passport or drivers license is fine.
• There is more to theatre in London than the West End. While the show we saw probably wasn't my favorite, I  will say that it was superbly done and we may have picked the wrong show. There are other small theatres in various areas as well and worth checking out. 
  

(If you missed previous posts from this trip and want to catch up, check out the England 2024 on the menu tab above.)