ON THE 26TH JUNE 1997 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published. Since then the Harry Potter books have been breaking records, selling over 450 million copies across the world, and have been translated into 80 different languages.

To celebrate twenty years of Harry Potter, explore an extraordinary collection of magical artefacts featured in the British Library's exhibition, Harry Potter: A History of Magic.

The exhibition is centred around the Hogwarts curriculum, uncovering the myths and folklore at the very heart of the Harry Potter series. In the pages that follow you will find carefully sourced items uncovered by a team of curators at the British Library, secured from within their own collection, as well as a handful of different institutions and private owners from around the world.

Join the curators on their journey and uncover...

☆ Magical activities to try at home

☆ The tombstone of the man thought to be behind the making of the actual Philosopher’s Stone

☆ Beautiful artwork by Jim Kay taken from the illustrated editions of Harry Potter, including sketches, studies and final artwork of Hogwarts Professors, magical creatures and much more

☆ A very special note that helped this journey begin

☆ Never-before-seen material from J.K. Rowling's personal collection, including illustrations and hand-written drafts