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Top Sights for Collectors To See Around London - By Carl Burnham “Tipoo's Tiger” displays Indian animosity toward the British in earlier times. By Carl Burnham London, land of the ages of time, where Romans conquered, built fortress walls, and eventually departed, and legendary kings and queens held court over all but the weather. The sights and sounds, the smells, the city is alive with activity as a thoroughly modern city. It can be overwhelming when visiting London for the first time, as there is so much history here. For the book collector and historian, when visiting, unless staying for an extended period, careful trip planning is needed if wanting to see some of the truest rarities in the world. From visiting earlier this year, I have compiled a list here of the best places to see rare artifacts and also to find items to add to your collection. London is where the origins of bookselling began, and one could spend a week just meandering through the area of the city where many rare book shops reside. Many bookshops are centered especially around the Charing Cross Road and Piccadilly Circus areas. Besides these, there are also Oxfam and other charity shops around the city where older books can sometimes be discovered. The major auction houses, Sotheby's and Christie's, originated here. On a visit to Christie's, it should be no surprise that the highest rated auctions in a lot while my wife and I visited were all Beatles memorabilia. Be sure to read my previous Americana Exchange articles which highlighted my visit to Christie's and also Sotheran's, reportedly the oldest bookstore in the world. The museums are a fascinating treasure unto themselves, with countless original paintings by famous artists such as da Vinci, Renoir, van Gough, Degas, as well as ancient sculptures, and rare artifacts. A good deal of preparation is needed to organize what you want to see and where while you are in London, as it is very easy to get distracted as you walk through the many miles of exhibits. Some prohibit photographs while others encourage them. The amazing thing about the museums here is that all are free!
Top Sights for Collectors To See Around London - By Carl Burnham World War II poster offers help to those made homeless by German bombing. The British Museum was founded around the private collection of Sir Hans Sloane back in 1753. Located in the Bloomsbury area, the British Museum is the largest museum in Europe. Plan your trip carefully here. Unless you have several days just to tour this museum, try to focus on the areas of the massive collections that most interest you. Not to be missed is the Rosetta Stone, which contains Egyptian hieroglyphics with corresponding Greek. The Greek allowed historians to decipher it. There are many other priceless world artifacts and treasures, including a wide selection of Roman and Etruscan artifacts, helmets, coins, sarcophaguses, seals, jewelry, and statues. Across the street facing the British Museum is a rare bookshop (don't recall the name), which had a special sale going on for many of their rare books and manuscripts. For the historian, a must see is the Imperial War Museum, which contains a rich display of war history focusing on WWII, including military vehicles and weapons, vintage posters, memorabilia, a photography archive, and a stark Holocaust exhibit. The Cabinet War Rooms where Winston Churchill stayed during the course of WWII is highly recommended. There is an admission charged which goes towards continued operation. From these bunkers, Churchill and his staff directed the course of the war. The chalkboard in the war situation room gives a status of the situation on September 15, 1940, just before the tide started to turn in the war as Hitler diverted his attention to Russia. Amazingly, the rooms have been well preserved and remain virtually unchanged from the end of the war. The British Library has on display a multitude of priceless original books and manuscripts from around the world, including two Gutenberg Bibles dating to 1454, the Lindisfarne and Egerton Gospels, original pieces by Bach, Mozart, early Japanese, Korean, and Indian manuscripts. Two copies of the Magna Carta are in the collection, dating as early as 1215. The Magna Carta contained concepts of liberty and legal procedure that later influenced the forming of the U.S. Bill of Rights and Constitution. The Diamond Sutra is here, which is reported to be dated as the world's oldest printed book.
Top Sights for Collectors To See Around London - By Carl Burnham The Magna Carta, where freedom began. If rare paintings are your forte, the National Gallery will wet your appetite. Located next to historic Trafalgar Square, the gallery collection includes many rare original paintings dating to 1250 by European artists such Monet, Van Eek, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, Dirher, Picasso, Gauguin, Gainsbourogh, Cezanne, and many others. Did I mention original? The Victoria and Albert Museum has a large decorative arts and artifacts collection, including the national collection of photography. There are numerous full-sized replicas of sculptures from around the world. One area, the Cast Courts, includes tombs, friezes, and sculptures, some two stories high. One interesting musical "instrument," Tippoo's Tiger, is a wooden life sized carved musical piece with metal workings instrumentation from Hindu India dating to the 1790s. It depicts the animosities of the times, an Englishman being mauled by a tiger. Speaking of musical instruments, there are some of the rarest in the world, including a Spinet from Italy, circa 1550. Also not to be missed are the Raphael Cartoons, dating from 1515 -1516, wall sized paintings based on Bible verses, on loan from the Queen. The Retable of Saint George (from Spain), made of Spanish tempera and gilt on pine, dates to 1410, and measures over 20 feet tall. There are many more museums if you have the time, including the Tate, the Tate Modern (the world's largest modern art gallery museum), and the Museum of London. All of these sites are easily accessible via the London Underground, which consists of some 275 stations around the city operating on 12 color-coded rail lines. This is only a snapshot of the treasures the city holds, and we plan to return someday soon to explore more of its many gems. Carl Burnham SouthpointBooks.com Editor's Note: For a letter concerning even older bookstores in the UK, please see the letter dated October 20, 2006, in the Letters to the Editor. Click here.

Top Sights for Collectors To See Around London

- By Carl Burnham

“Tipoo's Tiger” displays Indian animosity toward the British in earlier times.

By Carl Burnham

London, land of the ages of time, where Romans conquered, built fortress walls, and eventually departed, and legendary kings and queens held court over all but the weather. The sights and sounds, the smells, the city is alive with activity as a thoroughly modern city. It can be overwhelming when visiting London for the first time, as there is so much history here. For the book collector and historian, when visiting, unless staying for an extended period, careful trip planning is needed if wanting to see some of the truest rarities in the world. From visiting earlier this year, I have compiled a list here of the best places to see rare artifacts and also to find items to add to your collection.

London is where the origins of bookselling began, and one could spend a week just meandering through the area of the city where many rare book shops reside. Many bookshops are centered especially around the Charing Cross Road and Piccadilly Circus areas. Besides these, there are also Oxfam and other charity shops around the city where older books can sometimes be discovered. The major auction houses, Sotheby's and Christie's, originated here. On a visit to Christie's, it should be no surprise that the highest rated auctions in a lot while my wife and I visited were all Beatles memorabilia. Be sure to read my previous Americana Exchange articles which highlighted my visit to Christie's and also Sotheran's, reportedly the oldest bookstore in the world.

The museums are a fascinating treasure unto themselves, with countless original paintings by famous artists such as da Vinci, Renoir, van Gough, Degas, as well as ancient sculptures, and rare artifacts. A good deal of preparation is needed to organize what you want to see and where while you are in London, as it is very easy to get distracted as you walk through the many miles of exhibits. Some prohibit photographs while others encourage them. The amazing thing about the museums here is that all are free!

Top Sights for Collectors To See Around London

- By Carl Burnham

World War II poster offers help to those made homeless by German bombing.

The British Museum was founded around the private collection of Sir Hans Sloane back in 1753. Located in the Bloomsbury area, the British Museum is the largest museum in Europe. Plan your trip carefully here. Unless you have several days just to tour this museum, try to focus on the areas of the massive collections that most interest you. Not to be missed is the Rosetta Stone, which contains Egyptian hieroglyphics with corresponding Greek. The Greek allowed historians to decipher it. There are many other priceless world artifacts and treasures, including a wide selection of Roman and Etruscan artifacts, helmets, coins, sarcophaguses, seals, jewelry, and statues. Across the street facing the British Museum is a rare bookshop (don't recall the name), which had a special sale going on for many of their rare books and manuscripts.

For the historian, a must see is the Imperial War Museum, which contains a rich display of war history focusing on WWII, including military vehicles and weapons, vintage posters, memorabilia, a photography archive, and a stark Holocaust exhibit.

The Cabinet War Rooms where Winston Churchill stayed during the course of WWII is highly recommended. There is an admission charged which goes towards continued operation. From these bunkers, Churchill and his staff directed the course of the war. The chalkboard in the war situation room gives a status of the situation on September 15, 1940, just before the tide started to turn in the war as Hitler diverted his attention to Russia. Amazingly, the rooms have been well preserved and remain virtually unchanged from the end of the war.

The British Library has on display a multitude of priceless original books and manuscripts from around the world, including two Gutenberg Bibles dating to 1454, the Lindisfarne and Egerton Gospels, original pieces by Bach, Mozart, early Japanese, Korean, and Indian manuscripts. Two copies of the Magna Carta are in the collection, dating as early as 1215. The Magna Carta contained concepts of liberty and legal procedure that later influenced the forming of the U.S. Bill of Rights and Constitution. The Diamond Sutra is here, which is reported to be dated as the world's oldest printed book.

Top Sights for Collectors To See Around London

- By Carl Burnham

The Magna Carta, where freedom began.

If rare paintings are your forte, the National Gallery will wet your appetite. Located next to historic Trafalgar Square, the gallery collection includes many rare original paintings dating to 1250 by European artists such Monet, Van Eek, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, Dirher, Picasso, Gauguin, Gainsbourogh, Cezanne, and many others. Did I mention original?

The Victoria and Albert Museum has a large decorative arts and artifacts collection, including the national collection of photography. There are numerous full-sized replicas of sculptures from around the world. One area, the Cast Courts, includes tombs, friezes, and sculptures, some two stories high. One interesting musical "instrument," Tippoo's Tiger, is a wooden life sized carved musical piece with metal workings instrumentation from Hindu India dating to the 1790s. It depicts the animosities of the times, an Englishman being mauled by a tiger. Speaking of musical instruments, there are some of the rarest in the world, including a Spinet from Italy, circa 1550. Also not to be missed are the Raphael Cartoons, dating from 1515 -1516, wall sized paintings based on Bible verses, on loan from the Queen. The Retable of Saint George (from Spain), made of Spanish tempera and gilt on pine, dates to 1410, and measures over 20 feet tall. There are many more museums if you have the time, including the Tate, the Tate Modern (the world's largest modern art gallery museum), and the Museum of London.

All of these sites are easily accessible via the London Underground, which consists of some 275 stations around the city operating on 12 color-coded rail lines. This is only a snapshot of the treasures the city holds, and we plan to return someday soon to explore more of its many gems.

Carl Burnham
SouthpointBooks.com

Editor's Note: For a letter concerning even older bookstores in the UK, please see the letter dated October 20, 2006, in the Letters to the Editor. Click here.