I had planned to bring you back to LA’s downtown library in the middle of squares, but I was distracted by Jack Frost! However rather than lose this square, I thought I’d turn it into a Flashback Friday.

They symbolise the “natural, technological and metaphysical spheres of existence”

These chandeliers, eighteen foot in diameter, created by Therman Stanton can be found in the Tom Bradley Wing. You don’t really though get a sense of scale of this 1993 addition to the main library building until you zoom out a little. This is just the atrium. The whole wing covers 33,000 square feet over 8 floors. I lost track of time here, there was so much to see. More library stories from the other wing will follow. It is a big library, although not as large as the Library of Congress which has the most shelf space or the British Library which has more books than any other in the world. In fact it doesn’t even appear in the top thirty of large libraries. However on this day it seemed huge!

Public Library, Downtown LA

37 thoughts

    1. I’ve learnt (thanks to Anabel) that libraries are always worth visiting as these days they have so many hidden delights. Look forward to sharing more with you once I get through this busy period

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  5. Quite the chandelier! If I put it in my house, we’d have to move out. I like the second photo for how it gives a sense of scale and a bit of a feel for the library.

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    1. too big for my whole house! and you are so right about libraries. They are such a valuable resource as well as home to hidden delights

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    1. was thinking of you when I was there . . . it is thanks to you that it occurs to me these days to go inside libraries. This one also had an art gallery, a museum and more . . . must get on and write up the posts.

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  12. What a difference. I gave tours of the old library for a short time when I lived in LA in the early 1980s. So it’s a bit hard for me to appreciate the addition. 😀

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  14. Fabulous Library. Libraries were a lifeline to discovery on every level… sadly far too many of our Local Libraries have been closed… some have been saved by local volunteer groups, but far too many lost a loss of much more than books.

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