In These Stones Horizons Sing

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17 October 2013 @ 08:57 pm

037.

I went to Oxford yesterday. 8+ hours in a car to see original maps of Middle Earth, handmade copies of Susan Cooper's six signs from the Dark is Rising, a Malleus Maleficarum, a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone annotated and illustrated by JK Rowling, a handmade Alethiometer (one of the most stupidly beautiful things I have ever seen), scrolls on alchemy, medieval beastiaries, drafts of the Chronicals of Narnia and original paintings by Tolkien.

It. Was. Glorious.

We also went to the Radcliffe Camera (at my insistance, and because of the Unwritten), the Ashmolean (at my insistance, because of the Culture Show), the Divinity School (at mum's insitence, because of the ceilling), Oxfam (mutual consent, it started in Oxford and we all shop there regularly, as well as me and mum being volunteers there), Blackwells (ditto, minus the volunteering) and the Eagle and Child (my insistence again, as it was the hangout of Tolkien and Lewis and they'd sit around and talk about fantasy writing and oh my, nerdgasm).

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Tags: 100things

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frea-o.livejournal.com on October 17th, 2013 09:45 pm (UTC)

I love the scarf! Also, I have a new item to add to my bucket list. And I must tell my mother about it, too (she and my dad are doing England and France as an anniversary present in a couple of years and Mom is a HUGE fan of pretty much every author you just listed, except for maybe the Malleus Maleficarum).

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franztastisch on October 17th, 2013 10:07 pm (UTC)

Hee! Thank you! It has lizards on it. :D

And, unfortunately,, that exhibition isn't permanent. It finishes on the 27th of this month. Some of the items (Tolkien and Lewis manuscrips) are owned by the Bodleian, but I don't know if they have a permanent display place. The Alethioemter and six signs from the Dark is Rising were on loan from the authors. The Harry Potter was from a private collection.

The Eagle and Child has been there since the turn of last century at least. So that at least won't be going anywhere.

And Oxford is really pretty. :)

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alphaflyer.livejournal.com on October 17th, 2013 10:30 pm (UTC)

I suspected a special exhibition, given the items you cited! What is it called, so I can look it up on the internet and long?

I love Oxford. I always end up -- just on the way to the train station -- at the Frank Cooper store, to buy a gazillion pots of marmalade. Just because.

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franztastisch on October 17th, 2013 10:38 pm (UTC)

Magical Books: From the Middle Ages to Middle Earth.

This was my firt time in Oxford and I've already decided I need a long weekend there so I can snoop around all teh colleges and properly check out the Ashmolean and just wander.

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hells-half-acre.livejournal.com on October 17th, 2013 10:45 pm (UTC)

I am jealous!

Sounds like an awesome day!! :)

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franztastisch on October 17th, 2013 10:58 pm (UTC)

Oh man it was fantastic! I was literally walking around grinning from ear to ear. I almost cried when I saw the maps from the Hobbit.

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hufflepuffsneak.livejournal.com on October 18th, 2013 01:32 am (UTC)

This sounds like geek paradise, so happy you got to do that!

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franztastisch on October 19th, 2013 09:11 pm (UTC)

Oh it really was. And I shall go back, soon. :D

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inkvoices on October 18th, 2013 07:21 pm (UTC)

That sounds absolutely amazing! I went to the Bodlian Library some years ago and saw the Middle Earth maps briefly (in between interviews), but all those literary wonders in one place... WOW. Well worth the trip, and glad you had fun, geeky times :D

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franztastisch on October 19th, 2013 09:12 pm (UTC)

I was sad they only had teh map from the Hobbit there. I was hoping for the one of the whole of Middle Earth. But then I probably would have died. So. :P

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heartequals.livejournal.com on October 20th, 2013 01:00 am (UTC)

I'm so jealous that you got to see all those things! How cool.

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franztastisch on October 20th, 2013 06:36 pm (UTC)

:D :D :D

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