"As well as holding many of the world's most prized cultural treasures, the British Library is the repository of the nation's collective memory. Owing its origin to the generosity and far-sightedness of a handful of eighteenth-century scholars and book lovers, the Library's extensive collections now incorporate not only books and manuscripts but paintings, photographs, maps, sound recordings, newspapers, stamps, historic documents and more. Its holdings stand at 150 million items, increasing year by year. They constitute an unparalleled record of human achievement throughout history. In words and stunning images, this book tells the story of the Library's creation and development and explores the most significant items in its care. These include Magna Carta, Shakespeare's first Folio, Gutenberg's Bible, manuscripts of masterpieces such as Beowulf and Jane Eyre and of fine music, notably Handel's Messiah. Among its treasures are the earliest world maps and works inspired by all the great religions, many of them sumptuously illustrated. And in recent years the Library has made a point of acquiring the professional and personal archives of contemporary writers, actors and photographers. Revealed here, too, are some of its less expected artifacts, including Beethoven's tuning fork, celestial and terrestrial globes and quirky nineteenth-century advertisements for freak shows and patent medicines. The result is a book that will enlighten, delight and surprise its readers, reflecting the qualities of the institution it celebrates."--P. [2] of cover.