Nerding it Up

Went to the British Library today to see their rare and unique book collection. Wasn't allowed to take pictures but spent several hours fawning over the following items, which were only a small part of it...

• Jane Austen's writing desk, a gift from her father in 1794
• The 3rd volume of Jane Austen's journal, in which she copied stories for the amusement of her family
• Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre
• The composition draft of Handel's Messiah 1741
• Beethoven's tuning fork
• Medieval maps showing just landmarks with wind heads and zodiac
• Cap. Robert Falcon Scott's journals from the British Arctic Exhibition of 1910-1913, which predicted tourist trips to the Poles (which happened later in 1988) and described their failed attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole. After being preceded by a Norwegian exhibition, him and his four comrades perished on their journey back 
• Alice in Wonderland original drawings and books. It was originally titled 'Alice's Adventures Under Ground' and was written by Charles Dodgson (better known as Lewis Carroll) for his younger sister Alice
• Leonardo DaVinci's notes on mechanics, arithmetic, and architecture, all written in the mirror writing he is now famous for

The outside of the library.