Kathleen Doyle

Gold is universally appreciated for its beauty and value. Since ancient times, people have found all kinds of ways to incorporate gold into handmade books and documents - gold writing, gold pages, pictures ornamented with gold, gold book covers. This exhibition will bring together some of the British Library's most luxurious golden illuminated manuscripts from around the world to explore the different techniques used to apply gold and to tell the story of gold's significance. The exhibition celebrates cultural diversity by bringing together items from at least 20 different countries worldwide, representing many languages and the major world religions. The majority of items included in the exhibition date from pre-1600, with some South and Southeast Asian objects from the 17th-19th centuries, and some 20th century items. Written and selected by the curatorial team, the dazzling, large-format Gold Exhibition Highlights Book showcases the British Library's exceptional collection of manuscript items incorporating gold as featured in this major exhibition. The featured items have universal appeal and are central to the traditions of book art from around the world.

The British Library Exhibition Book

Gold

Scot McKendrick

Illuminated Manuscripts from the Medieval World

The Art of the Bible

What Would Ma Say?

What role did books play in the lives of English monarchs and their families? Besides Alfred the Great, Edward IV, Henry VIII, and George III, which kings and queens appreciated books and amassed enormous libraries full of them? This well-illustrated volume presents a fresh and wide-ranging review of the evidence for royal interest in handwritten and printed books. Leading experts offer new perspectives on the involvement of England's monarchs in the circulation and preservation of texts from Anglo-Saxon times to the present day. Some essays consider individual books or monarchs; others take a wider view of several centuries of evidence. At the heart of the volume is the remarkable array of royal books held by the British Library, including the Old Royal Library, presented to the nation by George II, and the King's Library, presented by George IV. Illustrated in color throughout, 1000 Years of Royal Books and Manuscripts will appeal to anyone fascinated by the British monarchy as well as the country's rich and extensive literary history.

1000 Years of Royal Books and Manuscripts

British Library

John Lowden

Illuminated manuscripts collected by successive kings and queens of England form the heart of a unique and visually stunning collection held by the British Library. A key figure in the formation of this collection was King Edward IV (1461–83), who commissioned a number of luxury manuscripts decorated with his arms. Subsequent monarchs added to this library, which was given to the nation by George II in 1757. Over 150 examples from this exceptional collection are presented in this catalog, which accompanies a major British Library exhibition of the same name. These manuscripts contain paintings produced by some of the finest artists of the Middle Ages. Highlights include the Book of Hours, made for Henry VIII's great grandmother, Margaret Beauch& Henry VIII's Psalter, commissioned and annotated by the king himself; maps of an itinerary from London to Apulia and to the Holy Land; and the Shrewsbury book, presented to Margaret of Anjou on her marriage to Henry VI in 1445. The catalog features full-page illustrations from each manuscript included in the exhibition, as well as three illustrated essays which explore the wider history and context of this unique collection. Written by the curators of the exhibition, along with contributions from several experts in the field, Royal Manuscripts will be a much-heralded event for scholars and collectors seeking to better understand the lives and aspirations of those for whom these stunning artifacts were made.

The Genius of Illumination

Royal Manuscripts

Annie Buckely

This innovative pack is filled with creative ideas designed to inspire storytellers of all ages. Learn how a story is constructed, from great beginnings to exciting conclusions and all the details in between. The cards feature 'categories' (such as character, setting and action) as well as 'sparklers' -- suggestions to get the imagination flowing -- and 'warm-ups' -- ideas to get writers to put pencil to paper. With 50 cards to choose from, the story ideas are limitless! And the extensive booklists -- with book ideas for all ages -- will get kids reading, too!

Creative Writing Fun For Kids

Once Upon A Time

For two millennia the Bible has inspired the creation of art. Within this legacy of remarkable art and beauty, illuminated biblical manuscripts offer some of the best evidence for our understanding of early Christian painting and artistic interpretations of the Bible. This beautiful and important new book, compiled and written by two internationally renowned experts, immerses the reader in the world of illuminated manuscripts of the Bible. Through its pictures we are transported across 1,000 years of history, passing chronologically through many of the major centres of the Christian world. Starting in Constantinople in the East, the journey moves on to Lindisfarne in the North, to imperial Aachen, back to Canterbury, then to Carolingian Tours in western France. Later we view some of the riches of Winchester, Mozarabic Spain, Crusader Jerusalem, the Meuse valley, northern Iraq, Paris, London, Bologna, Naples, Bulgaria, the Low Countries, Rome and Persia. Our journey ends in Gondar, the capital of imperial Ethiopia. Fortyfive remarkable books - each a treasure in its own right - provide our itinerary through time and across continents. Together they enable us to explore and revel in the extraordinary art and beauty of illuminated biblical manuscripts, some of the finest but least-known paintings from the Middle Ages.

Kathleen Doyle

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