July 3: British Library

Today, we toured the British Library, one of the largest libraries in the entire world. Holding over 200 million pieces, the British Library's collection when lined up covers over 300 miles; you can check out their catalog here. The main building, which is what we visited, holds forty percent of the total collection, with

A Shot of the Entryway!

the remaining sixty percent at satellite centers throughout London and the UK. The bulk of the main building is underground with eight stories going under. Curiously, this construction does pose two main problems: 1) there is a great deal of underground pressure from the Tube and 2) there are many Bubonic plague pits underground. Indeed, there have been incidents in which construction workers found plague pits and had to evacuate. The librarian giving the tour told a rather disturbing story: once, they accidentally discovered poison gas underground and had to evacuate so they could clear it out!

While the library does have a tremendous amount of material available, it is not for everyone. The British Library specifically serves people who are researching—professors, students, writers, etc.—and are in need of materials not readily available in public libraries. To access the collections, you need a library card and must be 18 or older to apply for one. The librarian assured us there were practical reasons for this age limit. First, because the library holds the largest collections in the world, it also has the largest collection of pornographic material in the world. Much like the Library of Congress, the British Library must have copies of everything that is printed in the UK, including newspapers, stamps, and, yes, porn. Second, the library prosecutes anyone who steals or damages materials. I am ambivalent about these restrictions, though; on the one hand, I understand the library’s caution in allowing anyone to view their tremendous collections, but on the other, I’m not sure I agree to the levels of exclusivity they achieve through this caution. One cannot even talk to a reference librarian—indeed, one cannot even ask a research question—if one does not already know what books one wants to use. I found this procedure more practical in theory than in practice. If one is just beginning her research, how will she know what pieces to access if she is not allowed to talk to a librarian?

Speaking of which, we were allowed into a secret observatory over one of the reading rooms (each collection—humanities, maps, etc.—has its own reading room) in which librarians can watch people using the manuscripts. The librarian pointed the cameras out to us—the visible ones, that is. She told us there are cameras in the desks to watch patrons. Additionally, when one requests a manuscript, the librarians weigh it before and after one uses it; if there is any difference, they begin searching. Once again, I was ambivalent about these measures: while I found them profoundly invasive, I did understand their purpose. These documents are not like, say, a Stephen King novel or an Encyclopedia Britannica at your public library; they are historic and irreplaceable. To be honest, I have not entire worked out my feelings about the degree of surveillance there.

Overall, I felt privileged to see the inner-workings of one of the greatest libraries in the world and would happily research there…that is, if I met their qualifications.

July 2: Stowe School

Today we visited Stowe School, an extravagant boarding school in the English countryside, and I must say I am ambivalent about it at best. The building is massive and massively ornate: built in the 1730s, transformed into a palace in 1822, sold as an estate in 1921, and turned into a boy’s boarding school soon after, Stowe

is the embodiment of the long-lasting and insidious English class system. The rooms here are opulent to the point of gaudiness. The library, which is extremely small, has hundreds of rosettes on the ceiling, all of which are made of 23.5 karat gold. We were told the ceiling, which was remade several years ago, cost 86,000 pounds, 23,000 of which went to the rosettes alone. There are ornate sculptures and wall-length paintings in every room, and the rooms themselves are massive. I would estimate my own home could fit into the cafeteria twice.

Expensive Rosettes

The house itself is on a large estate, as you can see. There are miles and miles of open land, much of which was covered in grazing sheep. I do not mean to imply the estate was “bad,” necessarily; the estate is beautiful. But like a strong perfume, Stowe is too beautiful, overpoweringly beautiful, and can cause physical symptoms of revulsion when ingested too deeply. Indeed, I felt enthralled by the beauty of Stowe, but simultaneously sickened. I could not help thinking about the lower classes and exploitation upon which this school was built. To attend this school, one must pay 33,000 pounds a year—roughly $60,000—which is more than many people pay each year for college and even exceeds many people’s salaries. The students here are in the highest crust of the aristocracy, and I’m sure many of them were born into histories of wealth.

With the Fourth of July approaching and after learning more British history, I feel proud to be an American. We have a class system, too, and it’s in need of reform; however, we do not have a socially engrained legacy of titles and monarchy. Indeed, I am grateful to have had this trip on the eve of the Fourth because it has really impressed upon me the meaning of the Revolution. In spite of all our problems, America does have a different kind of freedom from the British. In creating our own country, we not only did away with the medieval traditions of earls, dukes, and villages living to serve them, but we also created a new kind of individualism, one built on identity and above all freedom.

Stowe School is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life, but its legacy ensures only an infinitesimal percentage of the UK will ever partake of its guarded beauty. 

July 1: Stratford-upon-Avon

Today’s trip was a special one for me, especially as a former English major: Stratford-upon-Avon, a beautiful, magical town that produced truly one of the most significant writers who ever lived, William Shakespeare.

The sights and indeed the smells in Stratford were glorious yet so simple: the town needed no extra adornment, no castles or material extravagances; the pervasive scent of roses and the plain yet lovely architecture were adornment enough. The town is small, yet the streets are populated with a wide array of shops and vendors and even musicians, all of which contribute to Stratford’s charm.

As if such a setting were not enough, the town itself glows with history; for me, walking the streets and knowing Shakespeare lived and walked here, too, was most thrilling. Walking through Stratford on a clear summer day left little wonder as to where Shakespeare derived his inspiration.

The first site I visited was Shakespeare’s birthplace, which has been restored over the years, leaving the 

floor as the only truly “authentic” portion of the house where Shakespeare was born and raised. The house charges a steep fee to visit, so I chose instead to stand outside the home taking pictures, drinking in the scenery and importance of this location. Looking on this modest house and knowing it sheltered Shakespeare was…frankly, there are no words with sufficient oomph to articulate my feelings.

I had a similar feeling of bewildered awe while taking the Hop-on/Hop-off bus tour with a new friend named Sarah. The bus tour ventured through twelve locations pertinent to Shakespeare’s life, including his birthplace, church, what is now the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and Anne Hathaway’s cottage (among other places). I took a few hundred 

pictures that day and far too many to display here. While on this tour and later visiting Shakespeare’s church and seeing his grave, I continuously felt awestruck and reverential. Shakespeare's church houses the baptismal font used at his christening, his birth and death notices, and both his and Anne Hathaway’s graves. It is truly remarkable to see the humble beginnings from which Shakespeare ascended, especially with his significance held in perspective.

Another place we visited that was not of historical significance but certainly one of importance was Stratford-upon-Avon’s public library. A group of us walked down a lovely street to get there, and the walk was majestic. The exterior of the library tried to maintain a Tudor-esque architectural style, which was a visually pleasing touch. From the outside, it is just as quaint as the rest of the town. When we went inside, however, I was disappointed to see how few books were in the library. As you can see their library is rather barren.

These pictures you see are the only books I saw. Bear in mind this is the library in SHAKESPEARE'S hometown. I was aghast and could not help wondering what Shakespeare would think of this library. Fortunately, this venture did give me an idea for my research paper. The library's setting itself was lovely, though, and it did seem to be a charming place to study. That being said, I did feel confused by the lack of books there. Anyway, this was my only complaint about Stratford. 

One of my favorite events of the day, however, was the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Henry IV, Part I, which you can read about here. Admittedly, 1 Henry IV (prior to that evening) was not my favorite Shakespeare play; I actually did not care for it when I read it in college. This production, however, has changed my mind. Everything about it - the acting, the sets, the costumes, the music - was fantastic! I was very impressed with the production value. The opening itself absorbed the audience (okay, me) into the story immediately. The lights went out, leaving the entire theater completely dark. Then, some gravid choral music accompanied by heavy bass began, building the tension. The only light for the first few minutes was candles as what appeared to be monks slowly entered the stage. As more light appeared, one could make out King Henry lying prostrate on the floor. What we were witnessing was Henry's ordination, and the Royal Shakespeare Company made it enthralling to watch. I mention this scene because it really drew me in to the play. The rest of the production maintained the same level of excellence: the drama was sad, the comedy hilarious, and the fight scenes well-choreographed. Indeed, the final battles, full of sword fighting, were almost like a dance; I was impressed no one lost a limb!

The ride home was long, and by the time we returned to King's College, it was about 1:30 in the morning. I was exhausted, but so happy. As you can tell from this post, the visit to Stratford-upon-Avon was beyond my favorite and was full of memories I will treasure for the rest of my life. While maybe not on this trip, eventually I do want to return to Stratford for an extended period of time. So far, it is still my favorite part of the UK. 

July 7: LAARC

Today was an interesting visit in that the class went the London Archaeological Archive and Research Center (LAARC) to view their collections and get a glimpse of how archaeologists keep their archives. 

LAARC has a fascinating collection—I believe it’s one of the biggest in the world mostly because whenever something is built in London (and there is construction there all the time), LAARC is required to sift through the grounds and see if there is anything historic there. If they find something, they are usually given about two weeks to go through everything and see what they can find. As a result, the collection is vast, containing items all the way back from the Roman occupation. You can view their online catalog here to see what other exciting items they have.

Dan was the archaeologist who took my group (they split us in half again) around the collections, and we got to see some great things. The best was the back room that had the glass collection. There were old dishes from ancient times, porcelain figurines from the 18^th century—all kinds of things. I enjoyed looking at all of it. (Photo obtained from http://www.dayofarchaeology.com/day-of-archaeology-laarc-lottery/.)

Dan showed us one of his favorite items, which was a shoe found at the Globe theater grounds. He says no one can prove it, but Shakespeare may have worn the boot considering he performed in his own plays. The shoe itself was a long boot made of leather that is now starting to rot. Nevertheless, it is a great addition to their collection. Another interesting Shakespeare tidbit: Dan said that at every site related to Shakespeare’s theaters, they have found these huge, rock-like balls. The theory is that they were used as props in the plays or perhaps even as sound effects—people may have rolled them across the stage to sound like thunder. Can you imagine a man rolling a ball down a stage as King Lear fights the storm? 

Like all libraries and “information centers” in the UK, LAARC suffers from funding issues. Visiting all of these places has been educational and also very sad. I am not sure why there is such a growing apathy towards to libraries both in the UK and the US, but it is a startling trend, especially when one considers the future implications of a shrinking budget for centers like LAARC. I kept thinking about the tremendous amount of research these archaeologists have contributed and the breadth of records available—not to mention the wealth of knowledge LAARC has discovered—and the possibility of such a center either having too little a budget with which to work or it disappearing altogether. I doubt that will occur anytime soon, but it is a reality if the public allows this defunding to continue.

All in all, however, I had a good time that day at LAARC!

June 30: Oxford!

Today was especially exciting considering we went to Oxford University to tour their oldest library, the Bodleian. Oxford actually has a great many libraries: each college within the university has its own library; however, the Bodleian is the oldest and boasts the most historic collections. 

Chilling at Oxford

Upon arriving in Oxford, I got many shots of the library and the town itself. We were not allowed to take pictures in the book area of the library, but we were allowed to shoot the exterior and many of the rooms on the first floor. Once we were inside, I was blown away by the ornate detail in the architecture, particularly the ceilings, which was so intricate. Sitting in the library, one can just feel the history there.

Defense time!

Essentially, the room you are looking at was erected in the late 12th century. Oxford was initially created to be a Catholic theology school, producing priests. Most of the historic books there are in Latin because of this. The room has a long and fascinating history, which far surpasses the scope or space of this blog, but the main point is this room was used for "dissertation defenses," if you will. The two rows of seats you see near the altar were where onlookers would sit. There were two podiums on either side, which is where the professors would stand as they quizzed you. The one doing the defending would stand in the middle. Talk about stress! The room was designed to resemble chapels as a supplement to the main church on campus. 

Our tour guide was the most charming and hilarious person I've met so far! He was on fire with the jokes, but in a reserved, English way. At one point, he explained why 1209 was considered the founding date of Oxford: the seeds of the reformation had been planted, and many of the Oxford students did not want to deal with the religious and power implications. The tour guide said there was a difference of opinion on the extent to which religious doctrine should determine education. Therefore, a group of students broke with Oxford and formed what the guide called "that other place"--i.e., Cambridge. He said the name once, and then made many subsequent jokes about how he had accidentally said the “forbidden name.” Ha!

I was fascinated with the library, but was unsure as to who uses it and how. It felt more like something that was preserved for historic reasons, which is certainly useful, than a library for academic use. Still, the collection of materials there is tremendous and well worth savoring, especially for those interested in library studies.

We were all sad when the tour ended, but that meant lunch, much to our empty stomachs' relief. For the main meal of the day, two friends and I went to the Eagle and Child, the pub that was a favorite meeting place of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis! This site provides information about Tolkien-related locations in Oxford, including the Eagle and the Child.

All in all, the Oxford trip was especially rewarding!