Tuesday March 28, 2006
Tome Raiders
"It is the alternative lending list: the books, maps and manuscripts that are so desirable they have been snatched from the shelves of the British Library…
"While the thefts represent a tiny fraction of the 150m items in the library’s possession, the stolen items are valued at £100,000, with a number of rare maps and illustrated plates ripped from antique books by international thieves. A single plate cut from a 1522 volume on Pompeii is worth £45,000."
Hot Rocks and The Book of Snuff: British Library reveals its missing list
