Imagine borrowing a library book and returning it 150 years late.
That is exactly what has happened in Australia, where a 19th-century book has finally made its way back to the library it was borrowed from.
Antiquities of Athens, a book about ancient Greek architecture, was borrowed from Kiama Library in New South Wales sometime in the 1870s.
It was later hidden inside a tea chest behind a boarded-up fireplace, where it remained for decades.
The book was recently rediscovered by 77-year-old Ross Simmons, who believes his great-grandfather, John Simmons, may have borrowed it.
Library Mystery Finally Solved
Simmons had worked as a stonemason in London and helped with construction connected to the Houses of Parliament before becoming an architect in Australia.
“When I looked inside the front cover, lo and behold, there was a Kiama Library stamp,” Ross said.
The library calculated that the original late fee would now be worth around A$28,000. Fortunately, the fine was waived.
The 1858 book, complete with fold-out illustrations of Greek monuments, is now being treated as a special collection item.
“We don’t want to wait another 150 years for it to come back,” library manager Michelle Hudson joked.
After a century and a half, the book has finally checked itself back in hopefully for good.
