the NYC public library is an amazing space — skyhigh ceilings (literally!), to mute the dense, fussy detail of the ceiling architecture into tastefulness by sheer distance. and books line the walls, almost discreetly:
the lighting is key here: everything looks gold and sun-dappled, but in a sort of antique way; those chandeliers, which would be gracelessly gaudy in any other context, look here like luminous dreamcatchers, suspended delicately from high to shower us with inspiration, and to draw ideas skyward like moths to flames.
but it’s said we should not judge books by covers, nor analogously, libraries by architecture — so here too are some delectable morsels of the NYC public library’s contents: a glorious, dappled Gutenberg Bible:
and the Royal Proclamation of Our High Displeafure with Treafonable Paffages against Us and Our Government in two Books written by John Milton, late of Weftminfter in the Country of Middlefex:
(Excerpted transcriptions magnanimously provided).
in the next issue of Bookporn, We (and perhapf, Our Government) shall inveftigate and compare the public library offerings of the Burrough of Chicago, to afcertain fully the True and Proper Order of Awefomeneff.
[...] in the spirit of judging libraries by their contents, here is a small sample of things that can be found in Chicago’s public library: a wonderful [...]
[...] the NYC public library is an amazing space — skyhigh ceilings (literally!), to mute the dense, fussy detail of the ceiling architecture into tastefulness by sheer distance. and books line the walls, almost discreetly: the lighting is key here: everything looks gold and sun-dappled, but in a sort of antique way; those chandeliers, which would be gracelessly gaudy in any other context, look here like luminous dreamcatchers, suspended delicately fr … Read More [...]