Magna Carta Held Over in New York

The volcanic eruptions in Iceland may have paralyzed air traffic to and from Europe and cost the world economy billions of dollars, but there has been at least one good result, at least for visitors to New York--a precious copy of Magna Carta will be on display at the Morgan Library through the end of May rather than going back to its home at Oxford's Bodleian Library. The New York Times reports that airlines are reluctant to carry the 800-year-old document at a time when the "priority is to get people back home." The Morgan was able to pull together the exhibit with very little notice. This copy of Magna Carta is "one of 17 survivng originals produced in the 13th century that bear the royal seal." For more information about the copy on display at the Morgan, click here. The illustration shows King John signing Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215.