The Library: A World History by James W.P. Campbell and Will Pryce

The Library: A World History

In May, I posted photographs from The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World (here) by Jacques Bosser and photographer Guillaume de Laubier. It is a book that I own and page through often.

Today, I found out about another gorgeous book full of photos of libraries, The Library: A World History by James W.P. Campbell and architectural photographer Will Pryce. The author and photographer visited 85 libraries in 21 countries to put together this glorious book.

There are libraries from the United States, Turkey, South Korea, Britain, Ireland, Japan, Italy, Austria, Portugal....

Here is a link to some of the photos in the book - The Library. I was excited to see an image of The Peabody Library in Baltimore, Maryland. If you remember, this library proved to be the downfall of Gilbert Bland, the map thief, in The Island of Lost Maps.

In America, The Library is published by The University of Chicago Press. In the UK, it is published by Thames and Hudson Ltd. If you follow this link, you will be able to see sample pages of the book on the UCP's website. The book is pricey - $75 (£48) - but one gets 320 pages, 275 color plates, and 17 halftones along with the written history. 

All libraries, all the time.

Looking at Libraries

Undoubtedly the most gorgeous book I own is The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World. It has stunning photographs by Guillaume de Laubier and text by Jacques Bosser.

It contains photographs of twenty-three libraries including the National Library of Austria in Vienna, The Mazarine Library in Paris, Trinity College Library in Dublin, and The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Although I have visited many of the cities mentioned in this book, for some insane reason I have only been to one of the libraries - The Library of Congress. (You can read about that adventure here.)

Here is what James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress, wrote in his forward to this volume:

As you move through the pages of The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World, I urge you to keep in mind not only the beauty of these libraries but also the civilizing and educational power of books and libraries. The countries and cultures that built these magnificent structures have evolved, but the body of knowledge resting on their shelves is a large part of the human memory that will have future uses that we cannot yet foresee. This reminds me of yet another inscription that greets me before entering my office at the Library of Congress: litera scripta manet. The written word endures.

I will share with you some of the photographs in the book and perhaps one day we shall meet among their many treasures.

Cover photograph

The Great Hall of the Library of Congress

Washington, D.C.

The Benedictine Abbey Library of Admont

Austria

Wren Library, Trinity College

Cambridge, England

Boston Anthenaeum

Boston, Massachusetts

Riccardiana Library

Florence, Italy