Monday, November 17, 2008

Hot Library pr0n

And no, it isn't what you think, although the term sex libris is pretty darned funny. Via the nonist is a book about the great libraries of the world, with pictures. Amazing pictures. The Bibliotheque National in Paris (where Dad researched his PhD), the British Library in London (where Karl Marx wrote his opus), the Rijkmuseum in Amsterdam.

These are amazing spaces, filled with a literally priceless heritage handed down from generation to generation.

There's no picture posted of one of the great public buildings of this country, the old Library of Congress building. Not to be confused with the new building, which is from the 1970s "Neo Pillbox" school of architecture, the old building is impossibly ornate - clearly designed in the young, muscular flush of the Republic's youth, when everything was possible and nothing was "too much" when it came to decoration. One of the most memorable days I ever had with my father was there, 25 years ago.



If you find yourself in Washington DC, skip the Capitol. See this, instead.

Hat tip, A Large Regular.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Remember your manners when you post. Anonymous comments are not allowed because of the plague of spam comments.