Harry Potter - A History of Magic

New British Library exhibition celebrates Harry Potter's 20th anniversary.


An exhibition celebrating the 20th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has opened at the British Library.

A video preview can be seen here

The exhibition combines material from J.K. Rowling's own archives with British Library treasures and items loaned by national and international institutions.

Items included in the exhibition include 

  • A 400-year-old celestial globe, enhanced with augmented reality technology
  • J.K. Rowling's handwritten list of the teachers and subjects at Hogwarts
  • Original artwork for the illustrated Harry Potter editions
  • The Ripley Scroll – a 6 metre-long alchemical manuscript dating from the 16th century
  • Chinese Oracle bones – the oldest datable items in the British Library’s collection
  • An early written record of ‘abracadabra’, used as a charm to cure malaria

This exhibition contains the British Library’s first move into the world of augmented reality, in partnership with Google Arts & Culture.

Harry Potter: A History of Magic will tranfer to New York in 2018.

More information