St Cuthbert Gospel - Digital Facsimile

British Library
April 2012
 

Clay created a real-size digital facsimile of the St Cuthbert Gospel for the British Library

The miraculously well-preserved 7th century manuscript is the oldest European book to survive fully intact and is one of the world's most historically significant books. After a £9million acquisition, the British Library wanted to ensure wide public access to the book. The digital facsimile offers visitors the chance to read every one of its 180 pages, or more easily browse through highlights selected and explained by the curator.

To keep costs down and installation simple, Apple iPads were used as the delivery platform. The advanced touch screen allows visitors to turn through the pages fluidly using intuitive gestures, with pinch and zoom enabling a closer view. The iPad format is also highly portable, so the book can be taken on iPads and displayed at other locations with ease. Curators can even connect the iPad to large screens or projectors for presentations.