Manchester’s Neo Gothic John Rylands Library has had a makeover as part of its 125 year anniversary, the culmination of six years of work
There is a new events and welcome areas as well as a new shop, a new entrance and upgraded staff and teaching spaces as well as a world class digital imaging suite and brand new galleries
The Library stands as one of the most extraordinary acts of philanthropy in British History.It was a gift from Enriqueta Rylands to the people of Manchester, one that undountingly continued to enrich the cultural landscape of the region
The new gallery celebrates some of the Libraries most important book sand manuscripts,treasures which represent the Pinnacle of human creativity across centuries says
These works have found their home in Manchester and the Library remains their custodians
The second gallery reopens with an exhibition called the Secret Public, based on Jon Savage’s new book of which you can read more in a seperate article.
The inaugural exhibition space tells the story of the library through its collection beginning with Henr early collecting in the 1890’s up to the present day
There are some stunning items in the gallery, the first object you see the Gutenburg Bible, the first book printed in Europe using moveable type.Forty eight copies survive today,this one known as one of the most complete with its initials decorated by hand
It came from the Spencer collection which Enriqueta bought in 1892, the collection that made the Library famous but was not the start of the collecting.
One of the cases highlights some of that pre 1892 collecting,a beautiful Hebrew bible, written by hand on animal skin, there is a copy of the Golden Legend printed by William Caxton, England’s first printer,its cost higher as Enriqueta was determined to acquire it for Manchester
The collection also contains archival documents, amongst them a list of gifts given by Queen Elizabeth 1st and signed by her and a notebook again hand written listing momies given to the people who were injured during the Peterloo Massacre
Another display show the types of things used to write on in the past including ,clay, papyri,ivory and even plastic
The two book rooms were fitted out in 1901, the year after the Library opened contain some new items, things that you may not expect to see in the Library, the tools of creation, including a typewriter that belonged to the poet and the writing desk equipment of Elizabeth Gaskell
The second book room contains examples of the art of bookbinding, two manuscripts from a set of 74 by William Morris, sent to an international bookbinding exhibition in 1893.It was intended to Reside with Queen Victoria but her Majesty wasn’t interested and they were taken by Enriqueta and exhibited at the Arts and Crafts exhibition at what is now Manchester Art Gallery before being a centrepiece of the Libraries own opening exhibition
Back into the main exhibition area and the central case contains items that it was not possible to exhibit previously.The most famous William Shakespeare’s First Folio, the book known as the Rylands Beatus, a commentary on the Bible, produced in Spain in the 12th century with the most astounding illustrations and illuminations and a Koram manuscript, one of multiple volumes, the main text as you would expect in Arabic but also in small writing translations into Persian and a Turkic language
Another case contains a fragment of the St John Gospel, thought to originate from the 7th century
As the John Rylands Library has grown especially after it merged with the University of Manchseter,collecting has followed key lines of thought,as well as rare book and manuscripts, but also science and innovation, religious and social reform and creative cultures and not just literature but music art and drama
So her we have Alan Turing’s notes on programming the Mark 1 Computer, a letter from Emile Pamkhurst to CP Scott and notebook handwritten by Joy Division’s Manager Rob Gretton
Finally there are two digital displays, putting perhaps to where the Library is going and showcasing new ways of presenting using digital technology
