“Nothing brings a book of 900-year-old parchment to life as much
as realizing that you can still see the hair follicles of the
unfortunate beasts who gave up their hides for it. The
illuminated “Silos Apocalypse” manuscript may date from 1091,
grapple with the end of the world and contain page after page of
miniatures depicting devils, foxes, snakes and the angel of the
abyss. But it is the marks on that long-dead animal skin that
make its history really hit home. The book is part of the
British Library’s collection of medieval manuscripts. One of the
greatest in the world, it features 25,000 books dating from
before 1600, as well as numerous medieval charters and papyri.
Some are the sole copy in existence, others are worth millions
of pounds (how do you value something that is literally written
in gold?). The only way for scholars or the rest of us to view
them is via a pilgrimage up the Euston Road in London and into
the reading room or gallery.” Please visit the British Library’s
website to view their col