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Two thousand years of writing in one room, and it costs nothing.
HistoryBooks & writersPermanentFree
In British Library.
The Sir John Ritblat Gallery is the Library's permanent free show and the only part of the collection most visitors will ever see: cases for literature, art, maps, historical documents, sacred texts and sound. Magna Carta and Beowulf are here, and so are Leonardo's notebook, Handel's Messiah in his own hand, Shakespeare, Andrea Levy, Monty Python and pop lyrics written on the backs of envelopes. The room is kept dim and the displays are changed regularly for the same reason: light is what damages the things in the cases.
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Data is compiled from public sources including OpenStreetMap, under the ODbL. Hours change often, so check before making a journey.