037.

[franztastisch]

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).

Comments

[alphaflyer.livejournal.com]

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.

[franztastisch]

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.