The Old Library at St Johns deserves an immediate retroactive post, despite my last visit having been a couple of weeks ago. The library is accessed through the new library, distinguished most by its bizarre main entrance door that pivots in the middle. Because pictures will do it better justice and because my bibliophile friend Rachel has already done an impressive job describing it in words as well ("delicious," "don't forget to breathe," and "RAPTURE omg"), I'll let her posts on the Johns library speak for themselves.
Other notes on the library include its display of a stone salvaged from the original chapel (the foundations of which can still be seen in First Court), a bust of Wordsworth (a Johnian), a very old map of Cambridge showing the locations of the various colleges at the time, and a rotating display down the center of the Upper Library which is at present showcasing "sacred texts." The Bridge of Sighs can be viewed through the stained glass windows at the front near the stairwell, and the coats of arms glazed onto the windows are those of early benefactors of the library, as are those perched on each shelf.
No comments:
Post a Comment