Lee Hadden writes ” The Times has an interesting article on the theft of maps and books from the British Library, from the Sept. 13, 2005 issue. “Theft of 400-year-old maps adds to British Library’s catalogue of woes.” By Dalya Alberge, Arts Correspondent
THREE historically important maps printed more than 400 years ago have been stolen from the British Library.
The latest in an increasing number of thefts from libraries worldwide, they were removed from three bound volumes, cut out with a blade in two cases and pulled out from the third.
They include an untitled world map, an oval woodblock from George Best’s A True Discourse of the Late Voyages of Martin Frobisher, printed in London in 1578. Frobisher, the English navigator and early explorer of Canada’s northeast coast, went in search of gold in the New World licensed by Queen Elizabeth I. Captain Best accompanied him on all three voyages, in 1576, 1577 and 1578, and this work is an account of them.
An untitled New England and Canadian Maritimes map from Sir William Alexander’s An Encouragement to Colonies, London, 1624, and a world map by Peter Apian from Ioannis Camertis Minoritani by Solinus, Venice, 1520, were also stolen.
Police are investigating the thefts, which are believed to have taken place earlier this year. The loss comes six months after damning figures, released under the Freedom of Information Act, revealed that an estimated 7,000 books had disappeared from the British Library since it moved to new £511 million headquarters on London’s Euston Road in 1998.
Read more about it at: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1777918
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