Book hidden in fireplace returned to Australian library 150 years overdue
It is thought an apprentice stonemason who worked on the Houses of Parliament in London borrowed it.
A rare book, Antiquities of Athens, borrowed 150 years ago from Kiama Library in Australia, has finally been returned to its original institution. The book, which focused on classic Greek architecture, was discovered hidden in a tea chest within a fireplace, after being forgotten for decades. The owner of the book is believed to be Ross Simmons, 77, who traced it back to his great-grandfather, John Simmons.
John Simmons, an apprentice stonemason in Westminster and later an architect in Australia, borrowed the book in the mid-1870s while living in Kiama. The book was returned to Kiama Library, which had been closed for over a century, without incurring any overdue fines.
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