Front Page splash at British Library

6:51am Friday 26th May 2006

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FOR most people they simply become fish and chip wrapping. But for others, like the Queen apparently, the front pages of old newspapers offer a "fascinating" insight into our history.

Front Page, a new British Library exhibition celebrating 100 years of British newspapers, shows that "quality broadsheets" and "red-top rags" not only document historical events, but reflect a nation's ever-changing culture and attitudes.

Leading journalists from all the newspaper groups have selected more than 200 of the best front pages of the last 100 years.

Major events range from the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912, which the Daily Mirror reported that no lives were lost and when the Daily News cost just one half penny, to July 7 last year, when editors had to scrap joyous 2012 Olympics splashes for the news that 52 people had been killed by suicide bombers in London.

But this is not a history exhibition and nor does it attempt to be. This is an exhibition of British journalism at its best and worst, depending on your taste.

Changes in news-gathering, reporting and newspaper production are analysed through the front pages, with the often more interesting and revealing story-behind-the-story accompanying the displayed splash.

The pages are not displayed as a timeline, but under themes including sport, money, disasters, war, terrorism, riot or revolution, murder, idols and the royals. The front pages come from the unique collection of John Frost, who started collecting newspapers as a school boy in the 1930s.

The centrepiece of the exhibition is an interactive "newsroom", where visitors can make their own front page using real stories in the real style of all the major national newspapers.

While the "newsroom" can't replicate the feeling of having a news editor breathing down your neck for a story which had to be finished five minutes ago or a sub-editor loudly pointing out your mistake to the entire office - it does try.

Plus, if it were more realistic it might put off an entire generation of budding young hacks.

The future of the press and the "threat" posed by the internet are analysed in interviews with the proprietors of the four major newspaper groups. And any exhibition which gets Rupert Murdoch, owner of The Times and The Sun, to contribute has instant credibility.

Front Page makes for interesting viewing for anyone - journalistically minded or not - and will be of particular interest to Londoners.