from Princeton to Oxford: The British Library

24 August 2018, Friday

The British Library was one of my favourite places to visit. It is huge, housing a copy of all books published in the U.K. It’s like the U.S. Library of Congress, but there are many volumes and documents here that are much older!

The highlight for me was the Sir John Ritblat Gallery, where selected ancient and/or historic books and documents are on display. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures in the gallery, but I did take copious notes on what we saw.

My absolute favorite part was the music display. I was blown away to see original manuscripts from Bach, Mozart, Haydn… seeing each composer’s unique “handwriting” was very interesting! And following along with the composers’ original musical notes that I’ve played myself many times was amazing. These are some of the musical manuscripts they had on display:

Bach “Wo soll ich fliehen hin” from 1724
Mozart - a vocal work he wrote at age nine, along with his marriage contract
Handel - “Royal Fireworks,” 1749
Haydn’s Symphony No. 103, 1795
Beethoven’s sketches for the final movement of the Pastoral Symphony (no. 6), 1808
Elgar’s “Nimrod” from his Enigma Variations
And other works from Chopin, Debussy, Britten, Mahler, and Vaughn Williams

We also saw…

Letters written by Michelangelo (1550), Queen Elizabeth I (1603), Queen Victoria (1870), Gandhi (1930), and suffragettes (early 20th century).
The Forest Charter from 1225, signed by King Henry III, which regulated hunting and other woodland activities.
A jousting challenge issued and signed by King Henry VIII in 1511, celebrating the birth of a son (who died in infancy).
A 13th century plan book for the proposed Waltham Abbey, opened to a page for the waterworks.
The St. Cuthbert Gospel from the early 8th century - it is the earliest intact European book. It spent 400 years in St. Cuthbert’s coffin.
3rd century pages from a Gospel of John, discovered in Egypt.
The mid-4th century Codex Sinaiticus, a handwritten copy of the Greek Bible.