Journey through a transformative era of science

Themed on the famed novel by Jules Verne, the exhibition Around the World in 80 Days at Shanghai Library's Pudong branch explores the convergence of science, technology, art and culture in the 19th century.

"The British Library currently has over 170 million artifacts and we carefully selected approximately 92 sets of exhibits from the library's massive collection that have a certain relevance to China," says Hao Li, the curator of the exhibition.

Many of the precious artifacts, including the original manuscripts of Queen Victoria's patent certificate issued to the inventor Thomas Edison, the childhood works of the renowned scientist James Clerk Maxwell, and the ledger of the shareholders of the Bank of England's inaugural issuance, are being shown in Shanghai for the first time.

Authorized by the British Library and co-hosted by the Shanghai Library and IP operating company Museum Box, the exhibition beckons visitors to embark on a journey mirroring the footsteps of the novel's protagonist, Phileas Fogg.

The exhibition guides guests across 24 thematic halls, which represent nine countries — England, France, Italy, Egypt, India, Singapore, China, Japan, and the United States.