LONDON.- The British Library opened a major new exhibition, Georgians Revealed: Life, Style and the Making of Modern Britain, providing a fascinating insight into life in 18th and 19th century Britain and displaying never before seen artefacts that shed light on today’s popular culture.

The exhibition offers the chance to see the first ever British fashion magazines, enormous interior design portfolios by the likes of the Adam brothers, Britain’s first celebrity scandal in the press and the 1783 novel behind Pride and Prejudice, Fanny Burney’s Cecilia, which made the young novelist a household name.

Through over 200 historic objects, from rare and beautiful books from King George III’s personal library, to everyday objects and ephemera that are unique to the British Library’s collections, the exhibition reveals just how many of our current hobbies, occupations and interests were established and popularised by the Georgians, from leisure pursuits including fashion, shopping, gardening and sports, to more salacious pastimes including gambling, theatre, dance and celebrity gossip.

The first in a year-long series of celebrations across Britain and Germany announced today, the exhibition marks 300 years since King George I was crowned in 1714 and explores the revolution of culture and ideas that ensued over the next century leading us eventually to the Britain we know today.

Dr Moira Goff, lead curator of the exhibition, says: ‘We’re thrilled to be telling these fascinating stories from the Georgian period, a somewhat overlooked era. We’re showing off the Library’s unbeatable 18th and 19th century printed collections, from everyday throw away adverts, tickets and receipts, to gargantuan and exquisitely illustrated books that King George III himself would have treasured. We hope visitors will enjoy the exhibition’s playful atmosphere and make the connections between then and now that really bring the period to life.’

Accompanying the Library’s world class collections are historic objects from the period, including Van Aken’s ‘An English Family at Tea’ from Tate Britain, elegant furniture and crockery from the V&A, Georgian shoes from Northampton Museum and Art Gallery and a masquerade mask, picnic hamper, poignant statues and Jeremy Bentham’s violin from the Museum of London.

Providing modern perspectives on traditionally Georgian styles and ideas, the Library has commissioned new video interviews for the exhibition with experts from various professions, including furniture designer Russell Pinch, fashion designer Nick Munro, The Gentlewoman editor Penny Martin and author Jake Arnott.

To complement the British Library’s Georgian season, acclaimed landscape architect and historian Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, together with garden festival Cityscapes, has designed a Georgian garden installation for the Library’s piazza. Made possible by The Sackler Trust, the six metre high structure titled the Georgeobelisk will remain on the piazza until March for visitors to enjoy and explore, reflecting the beginning of the British fascination with gardening, sparked during the Georgian era.

The Royal College of Music has recorded new performances of music scores displayed in the exhibition, which include a signed manuscript of Handel’s Messiah, that can be heard throughout the show and are available on CD in the Library’s shop.

Georgians Revealed runs until 11 March 2014.