Northumbria Association

You are in Lindisfarne > Where Can I See Them?

Sadly, you cannot. The Gospels are currently in the possession of the British Library in Euston Road in London. They are not always on public display. The Library say that as they are a Library not a Museum it is not their job to display them. They also say that the Book is too fragile to move.

Following the campaign by the Northumbrian Association for the Return of the gospels to the North the Library produced a set of facsimiles of the Gospels. The latest facsimiles (an earlier 20th century facsimile exists) of the Lindisfarne Gospels were launched at an Exhibition at the British Library called The Painted Labyrinth. The event and the production of the facsimiles was described by principal speakers as “a publisher`s dream,” and a “librarian’s dream”. We were told that this show was “a landmark in the life of the Gospels.”

Lord Eatwell said that he had “cut a deal” with the retiring Bishop of Durham, part of the deal was “the gift” of a facsimile copy to Durham and Lindisfarne. We would query the word “gift”, and point out in particular, that the copy includes a copy of the 19th century replacement binding ,which itself was paid for by Bishop Maltby of Durham. To expect gratitude for a copy of a copy that you paid for in the first instance seems a bit much.

Other deserving places such as Chester-le-Street where the real Gospels were cared for for 113 years were not given “a gift” but bought their own copy. The bishop and everyone else was under the impression that these facsimiles were in some way unique, everyone was taken aback to discover that there were 900 copies to be sold for around £10,000 a piece. The Gospel is a good earner for the Library. It produces cards, posters and diaries of the gospel illustrations. There is a “Turning the pages CD-ROM” which shows some of the main illustrated pages.

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