Turning the pages
Through some link on god knows what website I just stumbled across the Online Gallery of the British Library.
It allows you to leaf through some amazing books which as a normal person you’d never be allowed to touch otherwise. Where else could you leaf through The Original Alice, written and illustrated by Lewis Carroll, or Leonardo DaVinci’s sketchbook? I also had a look at Jane Austen’s early works and – even though regular readers know that I am absolutely not religiously inclined – at the beautifully illustrated Lindisfarne Gospels. It’s great fun, you can magnify the pages, you even can read or listen to explanations about the books or about what’s in them. Or you can let them read you the book (at least that’s how it worked with Alice).
Very cool toy to while away the time and learn something along the way.
Now excuse me while I listen to the nice woman reading me Alice in Wonderland.
I was lucky enough to visit the British Library last year. It’s an amazing place, with many of these old works on display. It truly gave me shivers to actually see these documents first hand.
You know, I’ve been in London numerous times, but somehow I never made it to the British Library. Shame on me.