Interior of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County “Old Main” Building, photographer unknown, 1874.
In 1874 the Public Library of Cincinnati took possession of a small building intended to be an opera house. According to John Fleishman, “the parcel at 629 Vine Street was transformed in two stages into a library building that startled America with its cutting edge design. Its vast Main Hall featured five tiers of cast-iron book alcoves that could house over 200,000 volumes.”Breathtaking. From Ohio Memory, via no.
That's an amazing amount of books. I wonder if patrons were actually allowed in the stacks. It would have been quite some trick in a bustle and heels.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of the Law Library in the Iowa State Capitol Building. I was lucky enough to get to tour the upper levels, which are normally off-limits except to librarians (though I think they were originally open to patrons). The vertigo made it quite memorable.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/about/history/photos/law1/view