Items listed on this page are normally on display in the Sir John Ritblat Gallery: Treasures of the British Library at St Pancras, London.
You can find out more about selected items online. You can also check opening times and get an overview of what the gallery contains.
CLASSICAL MUSIC ITEMS
• The Caligula Troper. Cotton MS Caligula A XIV (ff. 20v-21r)
• The Old Hall Manuscript, early 15th century. Add. MS 57950 (ff. 12v-13r)
• Early English music printing: XX Songes (1530). K.1.e.1.
• Henry Purcell's autograph score-book, 1680s. R.M.20.h.8 ff. 139-138v (reversed)
• Printed volume of Purcell's sonatas - dedicated to Charles II. K.4.g.10
• Handel's Messiah. RM.20.f.2 ff. 111v - 112
• Libreto for the first performance of Messiah. K.8.d.4(1) pp 2 - 3
• Mozart: Horn concerto K.447. Zweig MS 55 (ff. 7v-8r)
• Mozart's marriage contract. Zweig 69 (f. 1r)
• Haydn: Symphony no. 96, 1791 'The Miracle'. Add. MS 64936 (ff. 1v-2r)
• Haydn's publishing contract. Music Deposit 2006/09
• Beethoven: Violin sonata op. 30/3. Add. MS 37767 (ff. 9v-10r)
• Beethoven's tuning fork. Add. MS 71148A
• Franz Schubert: 'An die Musik'. Zweig MS 81A more...
• Portrait of Franz Schubert. Zweig 81B
• Ravel: Bolero (Ravel's arrangement for piano duet). Zweig MS 74 (f. 1r)
• Edward Elgar: Sketch for the third symphony, with doodles. Add. MS 56101 (f. 56r)
• Photograph of Elgar. Add. MS 54781
• Vaughan Williams: Film music for Scott of the Antarctic. Add. MS 59537, ff. 34v-35r
• Miró - cover design for Digodal by Mestres Quadreny. K.6.d.5.(2.)
THE BEATLES - Manuscript and Photographic material kindly lent by Hunter Davies
• MS Lyric - Untitled verse by John Lennon. Loan 86
• MS Lyric - Ticket to Ride. Loan 86
• MS Lyric - Help. Loan 86
• MS Lyric - Yesterday. Loan 86
• MS Lyric - A Hard Day's Night. Loan 114
• MS Lyric - Michelle. Loan 86
• George Harrison Lyric to an unrecorded song
• 45rpm single of A Hard Day's Night
• The Beatles' 1963 Christmas record in cover
• Hammersmith Odeon concert ticket, 1965
• Photographs of The Beatles