Turning the Pages

Perhaps the closest any of us will ever come to some of the first editions and manuscripts that shape our culture is through the marvel that is Turning the Pages (TTP). Conceived by The British Library way back in 1996, and brought to reality in partnership with Armadillo New Media Communications, TTP produces an impressive digital facsimile, enabling libraries and museums to display the contents of valuable books and manuscripts.

Currently being used by The British Library, The Royal Society, The Wellcome Collection, National Library of Medicine (US)

Who cares how it works, it just does. My personal favourites are Robert Hooke's Micrographia (for the famous Flea etching, above), Vesalius's De Humani Corporis Fabrica (and you thought Gunther von Hagens was an original), the Lindisfarne Gospels, Sherborne Missal, Blake's notebook (all British Library) and the, frankly, intriguing Wellcome Apocalypse (check out the blue g-string, above). In fact they are all wonderful, enjoy!