To mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta we are holding a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition - book now!
Programme
The exhibition is at the heart of a wider Magna Carta programme, with public events, a conference, a learning programme and an online legacy for Magna Carta in 2015 and beyond. British artist Cornelia Parker has been specially commissioned to create a new artwork, which will be unveiled at the British Library on 15 May 2015 and remain on display until 24 July.
Magna Carta learning programme
We are offering a programme of student workshops and teacher conferences to support the delivery of History at Key Stages 2-5 and Citizenship at Key Stages 3-5. We are also encouraging schools to participate in a project to debate students’ rights and responsibilities in the digital space.
For secondary schools and teachers
Magna Carta Introduced
To book a Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy curator-accredited talk and exhibition for your group contact MagnaCartaGroups@bl.uk or call +44 (0)20 7412 7580.
Exhibition sponsored by
US Loan Sponsors
To mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta we are holding a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition. Since 1215, Magna Carta has evolved from a political peace treaty to an international symbol of individual.
Foundation of democracy or rallying cry for modern rights? One of the world’s most famous documents, Magna Carta has inspired some of today’s fundamental liberties. Yet it started as a practical solution to a political crisis 800 years ago.
Since 1215, Magna Carta has evolved from a political agreement to an international symbol of freedom. Uncover the story of how its power has been used – and abused – from its genesis through to today’s popular culture, in the largest exhibition ever staged about this world-famous document.
Explore centuries of dramatic history, from King John, medieval battles, revolution, wars, empire and the struggle for the right to vote, right up to today’s satirical commentaries.
Treasures on display
Together, for this once-in-a-lifetime moment, are the iconic documents and artefacts that tell the story of Magna Carta: two of the four original 1215 Magna Carta documents, Jefferson’s handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence and one of the original copies of the US Bill of Rights, both on display in the UK for the first time, together with stunning manuscripts, paintings, statues and royal relics. The US Loans are sponsored by law firm White & Case LLP.
Images
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King John's teeth, on loan from Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, on display in Magna Carta Copyright: © Worcester City Museum -
Page 1 of the Declaration of Independence, on display in the Magna Carta exhibition Copyright: © New York Public Library -
The slippers of Archbishop Walter on loan from Canterbury Cathedral Copyright: © Canterbury Cathedral Archives -
The Bill of Rights 1790, on display in Magna Carta Copyright: © National Archives and Record Administration, Washington DC -
Great Seal of King John, 1203, on display in Magna Carta Copyright: © Eton College Archives -
Discover the history, and challenge the myth, of one of the world’s most famous documents.
The exhibition is sponsored by Linklaters. Using the Magna Carta viewer on the Linklaters website you can examine the document in detail, read it in English and Latin, and discover its key themes.
A free Children’s Audio Guide is available at the Box Office – supported by Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Committee
the show is a feast for anyone with an interest in medieval history or how the freedoms we cherish were devised and defended *****
it's hard not to be left in awe at the British Library, where the documents that laid the foundations for 800 years of democracy are on display, alongside the papers that formed the United States of America as we know it. Humbling
Magna Carta, it turns out, still packs a mighty emotional punch
Four years in the making, this exhibition is a huge success, encompassing 1,000 years of political and cultural history with a surprising and impressive array of items
the show courses through history. Again and again, it highlights moments when Magna Carta went beyond its medieval roots to galvanise people from America and India to demand greater control over their everyday lives
Details
| Name: | Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy |
|---|---|
| Where: |
PACCAR Gallery The British Library 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB Show Map How to get to the Library |
| When: |
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| Enquiries: | +44 (0)1937 546546 boxoffice@bl.uk |
| Book now |