Boston Public Library, Boston

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For someone who spent 6 years studying English literature, visiting the Boston Public Library was almost like walking into a sacred temple! But even if you don't care about books as much as I do, you'll still enjoy visiting the BPL, if only for its amazing architecture. Founded in 1848, the BPL was America's first public library, and it still remains the largest in the country today. Some of the greatest American artists of the 19th century contributed through their paintings or sculptures to making the library one of the finest buildings in Boston.

Admission is free so you should really take a few minutes to roam around the library, snap a few pictures, and visit the temporary exhibits (we caught a great one on Champlain's America, in which I learned that my hometown was originally identified on maps as "Matane's boobies" ?!?). The Boston Public Library is open from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm from Monday to Thursday, and from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Friday and Saturday.

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Rarely is the local public library a worthy must-see experiences but Boston is home to one those few urban wonders. The Boston Public Library was built in 1852 in the manner of an Italian Renaissance palazzi and for this reason it compliments the two nearby churches. The facade is striking however it is only a small indicator of the wonders inside of this building. Upon entering you come across a magnificent staircase that leads you to second floor. The staircase is flanked by very fine murals painted by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes. The murals depict the four great expressions of humanity, poetry, history, philosophy and science. The staircase ends at one of the great rooms in Boston, the Bates Hall Reading Hall. This is a reference library reading room and features a stunning barrel vaulted 50 foot high ceiling. I was thinking that it must be difficult to study in such amazing surroundings without looking up at the ceiling. From here you can take another stairwell up to the third floor. Here there are more murals, this time by John Singer Sargent, one of my favourite American painters. The murals are fascinating and depicting themes from Judaism and Christianity. Beyond this main building is a large cloister also resembling a Renaissance structure. This cloister leads you to the Johnson Building which is the actual "library" here where you can withdraw books. It serves as the headquarters of the Boston Library system.
Beyond the artworks and architecture, the Boston Public Library also has a merited collection of historical documents and rare books. During my visit there was interesting touring exhibition about Alexandre Vattemare, who created the first exchange between libraries and museums.
Admission is free to the Boston Public Library. It is open from 9am to 9pm from Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm on Friday and Saturday and from 1pm to 5pm on Sundays.

For more than 150 years, the Boston Public Library has pioneered public library service in America with revolutionary ideas and famous firsts. Established in 1848, the BPL was the first publicly supported municipal library in America, the first public library to lend a book, the first to have a branch library and the first to have a children’s room.

On the other side of Copley Square are two more Boston landmarks. The first is the beautiful Italian-Renaissance palazzo style Boston Public Library, which is adorned with sculptures and inscriptions. The interior is no less spectacular, in fact it far exceeds the facade in impressiveness, with a grand staircase. Further within is the inner courtyard, with its arcades and statuary, resembling the cloister of a medieval monastery. Across Bolyston Street from the library is the confusingly named New Old South Church. When the congregation of the Old South Meetinghouse downtown moved here in the mid 19th century, the parish kept its name, becoming the New Old South. The soaring gothic revival church is wonderfully adorned. The interior is nice as well.

Boston is home to many "first"s, and the Boston Public Library is no exception. The first public library in America, the BPL occupies an elegant building in the heart of Boston. The main building facing Copley Plaza was designed by Charles McKim and is noted for its perfect proportions and classical elegance. The facade boasts graceful arched windows, magnificent carvings, and a row of graceful wrought-iron lanterns. The two statues on both sides of the entrance, sculpted by Boston artist Bela Pratt, represent Art and Science.

Enter, and you're in the main entrance hall, of Roman motif. The vaulted ceiling, covered in marble mosaic, is inscribed with the names of 30 famous Bostonians. The white marble floor leads to the magnificent main staircase. Most sriking is its surface. The walls are made of "richly variegated yellow Siena marble" and the steps are made from "ivory gray Echaillon mottled with fossil shells". Two great lions, reclined on pedestals, are the work of Louis St. Gaudens and dedicated to the Massachusetts 2nd and 20th Volunteer Infantry Regiments which fought in the Civil War.

But the best is yet to come. The BPL is known for its decorated galleries and lobbies. The most spectacular is the Sargent Gallery, named after the famous American painter John Singer Sargent, who spent years decorating it. The splendid mural sequence depicts "Judaism and Christianity".

The McKim building contains an unexpected delight. At the top of the Main Staircase, visitors can look down upon the wide, airy inner courtyard. The other 3 sides of the courtyard are enclosed by an arcade which is a copy of the arcade of the Cancelleria Palace in Rome. In the center of the courtyard is a clear pool with waterfountains surrounding a bronze statue, "Bacchante and Infant Faun", by Frederick MacMonnies.

Boston Public Library
Like a visit to an art gallery. The Boston Public Library was founded in 1848 as America's first major free municipal library. Its current location in Copley Square is composed of two interconnected structures: the building designed by Charles Follen McKim and completed in 1895, and the Philip Johnson-designed building added in 1972. (Johnson is the same architect who designed the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.) The McKim Building is used to store the library's research materials, and is kept open to the public both as a historical site and a functioning research library.
Take a look at my Library Travelogue for a photo tour.

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Located in Copley Square, across from Trinity Chruch you will find the Boston Library.

More to follow.

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Take the lift to the top [admire it its very old] and see the Mural by John Sargent.
Its a nice building inside and worth a look see.