Thursday, August 28, 2014

Secret Libraries of London

by Kevin Lo / 18 Aug 2014 - Atlas Obscura

Libraries are often public spaces with a rather private focus, each visitor engrossed in quiet contemplation or simply curled up with a good book. However, the beauty of London is found in its nooks and crannies, so let's take a look at eight libraries that are tucked a little further off the beaten track.

St. Bride Library
Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London EC4Y 8EE

article-imageOne of the many typographic treasures at St. Bride Library (photograph by Kim Anh)

Within an 1894 brick Victorian building, the St. Bride Library specializes in "something for everyone in the world of graphics." This means more than 50,000 books on printing techniques, visual styles, typography, graphic design, and calligraphy, as well as a massive store of artifacts spanning the 17th to the 20th centuries, including wood blocks, copper plates, and lithographic stones. A strong smell of ink permeates the space, so you can get a whiff of the history of hundreds of years of printed word.
Guildhall Library
Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH



article-imageThree queens, Elizabeth I, Anne, and Victoria, carved in 1873 on the outside of the Guildhall Library (photograph by Julian Walker)

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