Given the interest in the New York City Public Library’s Rose Reading Room (see response to the Weekly Photo Challenge “Illumination” theme), I thought you might enjoy a further look at what this building has to offer the traveler.

While the building with the stone lions gracing its entry at 5th Avenue and 42nd Street may be the most renowned, the New York Public Library is a vast system of over 80 research and branch libraries scattered throughout Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island.  The history of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building itself is fascinating beyond the history of which the building has been a part throughout the years, from the cornerstone laying in 1902 to the formal dedication in 1911, to the treasures it has collected over time, this building has stories to tell.

The library is a stunning example of Beaux-Arts architecture, and when we visited over the Christmas holiday, its beauty was accentuated and enhanced by all of the seasonal decorations.

As you walk up the grand marble staircase to the second floor, interesting historical exhibits line the hallway.  But, the real works of art are one more flight up.  Looking up toward the third floor while you climb the steps, your eyes meet a spectacular, gilded, arched ceiling, framing a mural of the Greek myth of Prometheus.

 

Various painted panels on the walls surrounding the McGraw Rotunda depict the history of the written word.

 

The Bill Blass Public Catalog Room is off of the Rotunda, and I found it almost as stunning as the Rose Main Reading Room.  As we stood looking upward, probably with mouths agape, taking in the splendor of it all, the security guard standing off to the side said, “You haven’t seen anything yet, just wait.”

“A good Booke is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit, imbalm’d and treasur’d up on purposes to a life beyond life.” ~ Quote written on the doorway leading to the Rose Main Reading Room

The ethereal ceiling mural is glimpsed through the glass above the door leading to the Main Reading Room, but is not appreciated until you are standing underneath it.

One of my favorite treasures contained in the New York Public Library required walking back down the three flights of stairs, and descending to the ground floor level where the Children’s Center is located.  Safely protected in a glass case are the original inspirations for A. A. Milne’s Winne-the-Pooh stories!  Well-worn and much-loved by the author’s son, Pooh Bear is kept company by Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and Kanga.

We have found public libraries to often reflect classic architecture, and to contain works of art and treasures comparable to a museum, or hidden gems like Pooh Bear and friends!  Do you have a favorite library that you have explored while traveling?

Ciao! ~ Kat