British Library: Treasures - Manuscripts Have Never Looked So Good!
by Joe White
January 11, 2011
The world renowned British Library has released its first iOS application. British Library: Treasures, which is available for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad (in an "HD" version), allows users to visit the British Library's collections "from anywhere in the world."
As stated in the application's release notes:
The app includes over 100 highlights from our collections, including literary, historical, music-related and scientific documents - alongside illuminated manuscripts and sacred texts. Each is presented through high-resolution images, allowing the viewer to zoom in and explore in extraordinary detail. Literary highlights include Charles Dickens’s handwritten draft of Nicholas Nickleby and Jane Austen’s teenage writings, while key historical documents include 2000-year-old Oracle Bones from China, an original Magna Carta of 1215, Elizabeth I’s famous Tilbury speech before the Spanish Armada, and a recording of suffragette Christabel Pankhurst’s speech after her release from prison.The British Library is undoubtedly one of the greatest libraries in the world, and it houses some amazing texts. If you can't get to London to visit the British Library in person, then this iOS application seems to be the next best thing. Currently, British Library: Treasures is available in the App Store for $1.99. Additionally, iPad owners can take advantage of an HD version for $3.99. Check the app out, and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
