CorpComms Magazine

The British Library has launched a new app that allows users to explore medieval and Renaissance manuscripts.

The 58 manuscripts that come from the British Library's 'Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination' collection come with as many as 500 high-resolution images of medieval paintings, some of which are not even on display at the exhibition.

The British Manuscripts app also includes videos from curators at the Library who provide a detailed history of the manuscripts.

Some of the top pieces include the Book of Hours, which was made for Margaret Beauchamp, the great grandmother of Henry VIII, and Henry VIII's personal Psalter.

The app is available for download at a cost of just £1.49 for the iPhone and £2.99 for the iPad, until November 2011.

The Library has also launched a smartphone app called Treasures, which includes literary, music-related, historical and scientific documents. The app also includes sacred texts such as the world's oldest bible.

Treasures was the first app created by the Library, and it contains pieces which include hand-painted medieval books. One of the highlights is Nelson's battle plan for Trafalgar.

There are eight sections to browse which include Science, History, Music, Literature, Faith and Religion, Maps and Views and Illuminated Manuscripts.

There is also an audio section from celebrity explorer Ben Fogle, who talks about Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his famous diary from his expeditions.

The app includes more than 40 videos from expert curators at the Library, and costs £2.39 for the iPhone and £3.49 for the iPad.

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