The British Library- Reviving Reverence of Text

Shakespeare's First Folio
Books and media are so ubiquitous that it is hard to imagine a time when they were both rare and revered. Seldom is one awestruck in the presence of  a text, but many at the British Library, both sacred and profane, left me in awe.  Below is a list of examples of the many seminal texts that I viewed familiar to my 'western'  historical knowledge:

  • the Codex Sinaiticus (4th Century) and Codex Alexandrinus  (5th Century) which were the first translations of the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament into Greek; 
  • Lindisfarne Gospels (~700 AD)
  • Magna Carta (1215 and later revised)
  • Copernicus's On the revolutions of the heavenly spheres (1543) -a book that argued for a sun- centred solar system and eventually revolutionized both science and theology
  • Johann Gutenberg’s Bible (~1455)- the first Bible printed by machine
  • Lady Jane Grey's Prayer Book- she was executed 12 Feb 1554 and would have had this book with her up until the time of execution.  I was struck by this having just viewed the famous Paul Delaroche painting of her execution in the National Gallery.
    • Image result for painting the execution of lady jane grey
    Execution of Lady Jane Grey
  • Shakespeare's First Folio (1623) - without this work by his friends many of Shakespeare's Plays would have been lost

The story of Captain Robert Scott's fated Antarctic Expedition is significant in New Zealand given he passed through their on the way South.  It was poignant seeing his personal diary (1912) chronicling the tragic end in which he and his colleagues perished.

Tower Bridge



On the way home we ambled across the bustling Tower Bridge amidst the throng of peak hour traffic visiting the impressive Engine Rooms that demonstrate how the bridge was hydraulically raised using two 100 tonne accumulators (weights).  Part of the tour was crossing the walkways 42 metres above the traffic including over a glass floor section.  To stand on glass directly above the traffic below required a suspension of the senses and I noted that some tourist declined while others tentatively put one foot onto the glass like testing and ice covered lake to see if it would take their weight. No problems for Mark who lay down on the floor!  The walkway also
provided super views up and down the river as the London fog descended.

View from Tower Bridge looking East down Thames

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