Library reveals rare photographs Aug 5, 2009
Rarely seen images from the early days of photography will be revealed in the British Library's first ever major photographic exhibition ... The British Library's collection of 300,000 images includes pictures taken in the fields of science, anthropology and archaeology ... Mr Falconer added: "The collection is incidental in the sense that the British Museum, which is where these objects were before they came to the British Library, never collected photography as a medium in itself. "It is... (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Etched in memory Jul 30, 2009
So far his team has managed to read and write more digitised data onto the "stone" than found in the vast British Library collection. The process starts by etching bits and bytes by laser onto silicon wafers, the ultrapure materials from which computer chips are made. (BBC News -- Technology)
Spying for Soviets was big mistake, says 'fourth man' Anthony Blunt Jul 25, 2009
ANTHONY BLUNT, the former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures who was unmasked as a wartime Soviet spy, admitted that his activities were the biggest mistake of his life and led him to contemplate suicide, his memoir made public by the British Library reveals. The 30,000-word document was written after Blunt's exposure as the "fourth man" of the notorious Cambridge spy ring with instructions that it not be released until 25 years after his death, which occurred in 1983. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
ACP's snakes and ladders Jul 24, 2009
in the British Library for 25 years. The 30,000-word bio sheds new light on his friendship with fellow gay Guy Burgess, but there are no details about espionage activities, and nor does he implicate anyone not already under suspicion or name his Russian contacts. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Spy 'regretted working for Soviets' Jul 24, 2009
Under those terms the 30,000-word manuscript was lodged in the British Library on Thursday. Blunt, a don at Trinity College, met the flamboyantly homosexual student Guy Burgess in 1931, and was persuaded by him not to join the Communist Party, despite intense pressure from left-wing colleagues in Cambridge. (Yahoo! Asia News)
Former Spy's Memoir Reveals Regret Jul 24, 2009
A quarter of a century after his death, Anthony Blunt's own account of his extraordinary life is made public today in a 30,000 word manuscript lodged in the British Library in London ... Documents from British spy Anthony Blunt were made public today by the British Library ... (AP Photo/British Library). (CBS News)
Blunt's Soviet spying 'a mistake' Jul 23, 2009
His manuscript, at the British Library in London, says a "naive" desire to help Moscow beat fascism motivated him. Blunt wrote the 30,000-word document after former prime minister Margaret Thatcher exposed his treachery in 1979. (BBC News -- Europe)
In memoir, spy reveals little more than regret Jul 23, 2009
(British Library via Associated Press) By Associated Press / July 23, 2009 ... Blunt wrote of his remorse in a 30,000-word memoir completed shortly before his death in 1983 and released today by the British Library. (Boston Globe)
Judge a book by distance it covers Jul 16, 2009
Traditional libraries - from the columned halls of Alexandria and Pergamom to the gorgeously groined and vaulted jobs of Trinity College in Dublin, Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum or the good old British Library Reading Room - provided dreaming space. There were shelves and balconies and corridors for the books, sure. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
How to solve life's greatest puzzles Jul 11, 2009
You can still see examples of his work in the British Library. Drabble gives him generous mention but wonders, too, about other progenitors of the pursuit, including the first-known board game, the 16th-century European Royal Game of the Goose, which was also derived from the idea of a map. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
News briefs (23) Jul 8, 2009
But starting Monday, it became available for perusal on the Web at so scholars and other readers can get a closer look at what the British Library calls a unique treasure. (The book) offers a window into the development of early Christianity and firsthand evidence of how the text of the Bible was transmitted from generation to generation, said Scot McKendrick, head of Western manuscripts at the British Library. (Helena Independent Record)
* World News Quick Take Jul 7, 2009
The oldest bible in the world, the Codex Sinaiticus, written in Greek in the 4th century but now scattered between the British Library, Germany, Russia and St Catherines monastery in Egypts Sinai desert, was to be reassembled online yesterday in a G1 million (US$1 ... The pages of the codex, described as a jewel beyond price by Scot McKendrick, head of Western manuscripts at the British Library, which has the largest part, have been scattered for more than 150 years. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
World's oldest surviving Bible published online Jul 7, 2009
As part of the four-year joint project, digital photographs have been taken of the reunited manuscript, allowing scholars worldwide to research in-depth the Greek text, the British Library in London said ... "The Codex Sinaiticus is one of the world's greatest written treasures," said Scot McKendrick, head of Western manuscripts at the British Library. (Yahoo! Asia News)
Oldest Bible made whole again online Jul 7, 2009
The British Library via AP ... "The Codex Sinaiticus is one of the world's greatest written treasures," said Scot McKendrick, head of Western manuscripts at the British Library ... Four-year projectThe ancient parchments, which appear almost translucent, are a collection of sections held by the British Library in London, the Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai, Egypt, the National Library of Russia and Leipzig University Library in Germany. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Oldest Christian bible made whole again online Jul 6, 2009
"The Codex Sinaiticus is one of the world's greatest written treasures," said Scot McKendrick, head of Western manuscripts at the British Library ... The ancient parchments, which appear almost translucent, are a collection of sections held by the British Library in London, the Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai, Egypt, the National Library of Russia and Leipzig University Library in Germany ... Each institution owns different amounts of the manuscript, but the British Library, which digitized... (Yahoo News -- Technology)
Historic Bible pages put online Jul 6, 2009
Dr Scot McKendrick, head of Western manuscripts at the British Library, said the wide availability of the document presented many research opportunities ... Dr Scot McKendrickBritish Library. (BBC News -- Africa)
Berger donates to British Library Jun 23, 2009
The archive of Booker prize-winner John Berger is to be transferred from his French home to the British Library ... Readers can follow Mr Andrews' journey on the British Library website or via the library's Twitter account ... Mr Andrews will bring back the archive to the climate-controlled storage areas in the British Library's flagship St Pancras building in London. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Rwandans to see genocide on big screen Jun 21, 2009
Making of Shooting Dogs triggered panic and flashbacks. Monday 27 March 2006. (Yahoo News -- Rwanda)
Century of news Jun 18, 2009
The British Library has put two million digitised pages from 19th century newspapers online, taking research out of its dusty reading rooms into people's homes ... It is this insight into people's day-to-day interests and lives that makes the British Library's new database so fascinating ... " The same paper has a detailed account of the latest developments in the Napoleonic Wars between France, Britain and other European nations. A few more clicks and I stumble across a familiar-sounding story... (BBC News -- UK)
Renaissance music with lasting joy by the BEMF Jun 16, 2009
Most of the selections were anonymous and appeared in the program with manuscript numbers from the British Library, and yet this performance dared you to forget the archival source work and simply imagine a medieval band cutting loose in the village square on a festival day. Patrizia Bovi and Mauro Borgioni sang labyrinthine madrigals with impressive virtuosity but also with a certain casual warmth as if they were ditties worth a listen from the street corner. (Boston Globe)
Hillary sets a marker Jun 16, 2009
Thursday 26 February 2004 02. Hillary Clinton accused the Bush administration yesterday of undermining efforts to curb the spread of weapons of mass destruction by supporting the development of a new generation of nuclear warheads. (Yahoo News -- Hillary Rodham Clinton)
'Guardian, friend and protector' Jun 6, 2009
Guardian, friend and protector. Friday 31 August 2007 16. (Yahoo News -- Princess Diana)
Secrets of Website Success. Leading expert on Internet and Business Law reveals the essential strategies for achieving an effective online presence Jun 1, 2009
A new interactive workshop to be held at the British Library's Business and IP Centre on the legal and business issues associated with Websites, E-Commerce and Online Branding ... London, UK (PRWeb UK) June 1, 2009 -- A British Library workshop by Azrights for those setting up or extending an online presence ... Venue: British Library, Business and Intellectual Property Centre Date: 2-5pm 24 June, 2009 Cost: 30 plus VAT. (Yahoo News -- Press Releases)
Audience appeal May 21, 2009
All but forgotten by literature, Clovis Dardentor hasn't been published in English since 1897, and the only copy the boys could get their hands on was in the British Library. Clovis Dardentor was written by Jules Verne and published in 1897. (BBC News -- UK)
British Library Podcast: Untitled Beatles lyric found May 16, 2009
Mystery Beatles lyric is a dream display at the British Library ... Mystery Beatles lyric is a dream display at the British Library ... A previously unseen George Harrison lyric, found by author and collector Hunter Davies, goes on display at the British Library today (8 May 2009). (Harper's Magazine)
Lost Beatles song saved from dump May 10, 2009
They have joined other famous Beatles exhibits in the British Library. Written in Harrison's hand and never recorded by him, the lyrics say: "I'm happy to say that it's only a dream; when I come across people like you; it's only a dream and you make it obscene; with the things that you think and you do. "Your [sic] so unaware of the pain that I bear; and jealous for what you can't do. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
‘New' George Harrison song lyrics go on display May 9, 2009
LONDON A previously unseen George Harrison lyric, found on the floor of the Abbey Road studios and dating back to 1967, has gone on display at the British Library ... George's words are all that is left of the song - we can only guess what it would have sounded like so it is an invaluable and hugely interesting piece of Beatles memorabilia, said Jamie Andrews, head of Modern Literary Manuscripts at the British Library. (Globe and Mail)
Infotainment May 9, 2009
Previously unseen George Harrison lyrics, found on the floor of the Abbey Road studios and dating back to 1967, have gone on display at the British Library. Written when Harrison was aged 23 or 24, the untitled song came from an era when the Beatles had stopped touring to spend more time in the studio. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
NRI worker revives 'Shastar Vidya' in UK May 5, 2009
Detailed records of 'Shastar vidya' are available from the colonial era in the British Library and Veum here ... "When I was younger I used to head down to the British Library where there are loads of manuscripts and books from the Sikh empire," he said. (India Times, India)
Even after 500 years, Henry VIII still towers over London May 2, 2009
Earlier, a press conference was held to explain this season of Henry, featuring grandees from the Tower, Hampton Court and the British Library ... Starkey's is an exhibition at the British Library of the king's books and papers, including the legal documents marshalled in his bid to divorce Catherine of Aragon. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Rich Musical Pickings With Easier Access To Archives May 1, 2009
We have an agreement in principle with the British Library, we are currently working on how they want to implement the system for their archive, explains Reiss. The Irish Pipers Archive and the Irish Traditional Music archive are also interested in the system and have been testing and evaluating it. (Science Daily)
British Library podcast: Henry VIIIs music Apr 30, 2009
The British Library Board Copyright. The British Library Board. (Harper's Magazine)
A nation of programmers? Apr 28, 2009
Last Friday the actor and self-confessed 'technophile' Stephen Fry was one of the more interesting contributors to a rather self-serving debate about Digital Britain held at the British Library. He offered an analogy between the early days of the motor car and the current development of a network society, noting that there were no agonised debates or high-level task forces convened to discuss the rollout of the car, so perhaps we should be more relaxed in our attitude to going digital. (BBC News -- Technology)
Benjamin Franklin Find: Researcher Discovers Trove Of Founding Father’s Letters Apr 28, 2009
24, 2009) A trove of Benjamin Franklin letters has turned up in the British Library ... The last document he asked to see in the Manuscripts Reading Room of the British Library was catalogued as "Copies of Letters relating to the March of General Braddock" by Thomas Birch ... Houston wasn't looking for traces of Franklin in Birch's handiwork which numbers an astonishing 400-plus volumes in the British Library. (Science Daily)
Library acquires Hughes archives Mar 24, 2009
Hundreds of unpublished poems, letters and notebooks by former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes have been acquired by the British Library ... Jamie Andrews from the British Library said the archive "would change Hughes scholarship in a substantial way". (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Campbell gets a savaging Mar 10, 2009
Tuesday 10 February 2004 03. John Humphrys, the veteran Today programme presenter, broke an eight-month silence over the Iraq dossier row yesterday with a claim that Alastair Campbell had tried to destabilise the BBC "in a pretty tacky way" in the wake of the Hutton report. (Yahoo News -- Hutton Report)
Venice film festival shows the strain Mar 10, 2009
Tuesday 7 September 2004 16. The quality of mercy, as Portia observes in the Merchant of Venice, is not strain'd - but much of this year's Venice film festival has become extremely strain'd. (Yahoo News -- Film Awards)
Digital politics Mar 2, 2009
Since I am fortunate enough to have access to the British Library and even to the offices of the New Statesman, where I'm an occasional contributor, I could hunt down the original 1988 edition if I really wanted to and see just how the case was argued. As I'm a friend of Anthony Barnett's I could ask him if he has any old material I could look at, and if I was really keen I could offer to digitise it and put it online for him, but I probably won't because time is short and building digital... (BBC News -- Technology)
'Lost' Hughes play performed Feb 28, 2009
Barnard found evidence in the British Library that the 1974 opera, The Story of Vasco, was based on a full text by Hughes. He followed the trail to Gordon Crosse, who wrote the music for the opera. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
The writing's on the wall Feb 27, 2009
King Henry VIII wrote this love letter to Anne Boleyn (pic: British Library). Jane Austen completed her last novel, Persuasion, in 1816. (BBC News -- UK)
Macedonia guerrillas win seats Feb 25, 2009
Nicholas Wood, Skopje. Tuesday 17 September 2002 02. (Yahoo News -- Macedonia)
Dutch pass law to expel failed asylum seekers Feb 23, 2009
Thousands of people face return to conflict zones. Wednesday 18 February 2004 02. (Yahoo News -- Netherlands)
Death for USS Cole bombing Feb 20, 2009
Thursday 30 September 2004 23. A Yemeni court sentenced two men to death and jailed four others yesterday for their roles in a bombing which killed 17 American sailors and almost sank a 540m guided-missile destroyer. (Yahoo News -- Yemen)
You're never too old to get the Net Feb 20, 2009
Meanwhile, a report from the British Library last year suggested that Net-generation kids don't necessarily process information differently than their elders. Jittery, short-attention-span information-filtering is a trait that's popping up across all ages that have become cozy with the Google lifestyle. (Globe and Mail)
Tiny village hits El Gordo lottery jackpot Feb 20, 2009
Friday 22 December 2006 16. Schoolchildren sing the winning El Gordo lottery numbers. (Yahoo News -- Gambling & Lottery)
Family threatened in 1.7m Lowry raid, court told Feb 18, 2009
Family threatened in 1. Family threatened in 1. (guardian.co.uk)
Immunity granted by parliament could yet be voided by top court Feb 18, 2009
Wednesday 18 February 2009. After he was voted back into power last year, made it a priority of his government to pass a law that would give him immunity from prosecution. (guardian.co.uk)
Torture complaint filed against British agent Feb 18, 2009
Associated Press in Athens. Thursday 29 December 2005. (Yahoo News -- Greece)
Pick of the day Feb 16, 2009
Monday 16 February 2009. Few books become causes c;l;bres before they're published. (guardian.co.uk)
Antigua fails Test but gets reprieve Feb 14, 2009
Player confident Recreation Ground will be fit Relocated Test will be the third. Friday 13 February 2009 23. (guardian.co.uk)
Fresh start for lost file formats Feb 14, 2009
Research by the British Library estimates that the delay caused by accessing and preserving old digital files costs European businesses about 2. 7bn a year. (BBC News -- Technology)
I'm behead over heels.. Feb 14, 2009
The letter, written in French in January 1528, has been held by the Vatican but will go on show for the first time at the British Library in London. The letter is signed like a love-sick teenager, "H seeks A.B., No Other Rex". (Mirror.co.uk)
UCLA team creates virtual library of medieval manuscripts Feb 11, 2009
The manuscript was commissioned by Queen Isabeau of France in 1414 and is now held by the British Library. An Irish copy of the Gospel of John, bound in ivory and presented to Charlemagne sometime around 800, now in the library of the monastery of St. Gall in Switzerland. (EurekAlert!)
