A very rare copy of Harry Potter and the Pholosopher's Stone which sold for £8,120 to a private buyer. Picture; John DevlinA very rare copy of Harry Potter and the Pholosopher's Stone which sold for £8,120 to a private buyer. Picture; John Devlin
A very rare copy of Harry Potter and the Pholosopher's Stone which sold for £8,120 to a private buyer. Picture; John Devlin

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: 15 pictures celebrating the magic of 25 years of Harry Potter

It has been 25 years since Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone arrived, and it is safe to say that a household name was born from when the first page was opened.

Bloomsbury initially published just 500 copies of Philosopher’s Stone, but following rave reviews and 120 million copies, not to mention a blockbuster film, Harry Potter is very much in the public realm.

Rowling’s follow-up to The Philosopher’s Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, was published the following year in 1998, while Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban was published in 1999. They were followed by Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, The Order Of The Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows.

The first film, which propelled stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint to global fame, was released in 2001 and the franchise wrapped up in 2011.

We take a look at some pictures celebrating the boy wizard and the fandom around the series, from films, to postage stamps that celebrate The Boy Who Lived.