Standing in the large void of literature dating back over 3000 years I can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the history that envelops me in its infinite arms. The British library is the second largest library in the world home to over 190 million items of books, journals, newspapers etc.
Did you know that the British library consists of four storeys above ground and four stories below? The majority of the items are stored below and there are so many that the expanse of books seeps out to below Kings Cross station and two stops along the Northern line!
When you order a book to borrow that book is taken from underground and placed on a conveyer belt that carries the book up through the walls to where you are - how cool! There is something so Harry Potter esque about books travelling up through walls.
On the 6th of January I had the opportunity to visit the British library, curtesy of my schools English department to partake in a thought provoking creative writing course.
Upon arrival our group was introduced to our guide who blew our minds by showing us an optical illusion entitled ‘Paradoxymoron’ by Patrick Huges. The unique anamorphic art depicted a series of bookshelves that appeared 3D and seemed to be moving.
Venturing up to the first floor the brilliant ‘Kings Library’ a collection of books created by King George III was on display. It consists of a collection of over 60,000 books arranged by colour and size. Some books have red ribbons on them signifying they are in need of restoration.
We then had the opportunity to go into the Treasures gallery which hosts more than 200 fascinating items such as: scientific, historic, literary and musical works; for example the petri dish which Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in, the Magna Carter and handwritten lyrics by the Beatles! No matter what a person’s interests, there is something in this room from which point the shape of human development and the course of history was changed forever.
Our guide asked us to walk around the room and find a painting or object we were drawn to and we were asked to write a page about the item, through perhaps a story or description. I chose to write about the celestial globe created by Vincenzo Coronelli (1650-1780) who is renowned as one of the greatest globe makers of all time.
Outside the Treasures gallery there is a sculpture of Sir Hans Sloane who we learned travelled around the world collecting antiques in the 18th century. His wife became annoyed with the growing supply of antiques so she told him to build a shed to store them and this established the British Museum
We were also informed that whilst in Jamaica, Sir Sloane saw that the locals crushed a cocoa bean and mixed it with warm water; he took some of these beans back to England and one day he went out to eat with his friend John Cadbury to whom he gave these beans- the founding moment of Cadbury chocolate!
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the British library and encourage you all to go.
Tanya Louise hill, ilford Ursuline academy
