A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

I am having a wonderful time in London -- I've walked miles across every section of the city. I have seen a lot of really cool things; this trip has exceeded all my expectations. But I've seen two things that exceed even the wildest of my dreams... Ready for this?

I visited the British Library this week -- and how the libraries work here is a whole other post. In the British Library is a gallery featuring some of the Library's most treasured possessions. While some documents, artifacts, and books are always on display, the gallery changes. And what happened to be on display during my visit? The mortgage deed for the Blackfriars Theatre. Signed by all the three owners, one of whom is of course...William Shakespeare. I saw William Shakespare's signature in his own hand. Wow. The photo to the left shows the signature I saw today.

Today I also visited the National Portrait Gallery, looking for one painting: the Chandos portrait of Shakespeare (the image at the top of my blog). I combed through the Tudor Gallery, sure I was just missing it, but no, it wasn't there. I stumbled into a stairway, and through a window in a door to my right, I could see it! There it was! But that gallery was closed, and I couldn't go in. A museum employee came out the door, and I accosted him. Is that the Chandos? Why is it in there? Can I go in? Please? I was informed that the room was a new exhibition on Shakespeare and his contemporaries, but it wasn't ready for the public yet. My heart sank. He left to ask when the gallery would open, and I was sure this was it -- I would get no closer -- I'd see it only through the window. You can imagine how thrilled I was when he said the opening was 12:00 noon today! I assured him I would return.

From the National Portrait Gallery I took the tube to Shakespeare's Globe. After a tour of the theatre, I checked in with the Globe's Library and Archives. I spent the day in a tiny little A/V room going through binders, boxes, and tapes upon tapes upon tapes from the Globe's last performance of Dream (as they call it) in 2002. It was the coolest, and again, that'll have to be a whole other post! Shortly before dinnertime tonight, I made my way back to the Portrait Gallery. I'm extremely excited to say that the gallery was open, and I was able to behold the Chandos portrait with all its allure.

So there it is. I saw his signature in his own hand and the only portrait that was painted from life. Only three images of Shakespeare exist, and the other two came after he died. The Chandos is the only representation that, we think, Shakespeare himself modeled for. (And I'll have to do a post on why it's called the Chandos, too -- it's named for an owner, not the artist or the subject!) A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!