Title supplied by cataloger. Central Library, located at 630 W. 5th Street in downtown Los Angeles, was designed by architects Bertram G. Goodhue and Carlton M. Winslow. Constructed between 1922-1926, it was designed to mimic the architecture of ancient Egypt, complete with a tiled mosaic pyramid tower and many beautiful murals throughout. Tragic fires in 1986 destroyed part of the building along with 20 percent of the library's collection, prompting a closure for 6 years while restoration took place. The renovation was completed in 1993, and the library reopened on October 3, 1993. The Los Angeles Public Library is the third largest public library in the United States in terms of books and periodical holdings, boasting over 6 million volumes. It was added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1970 - Building #70000136. Photograph shows the construction of the Los Angeles Public Library, located at 630 W. Fifth Street; view is of the south side of the building. The structure is well under way and beginning to take shape as construction workers, barely visible in the photograph, use thousands of pieces of plywood to make the frame. It appears the construction method being used is Balloon Framing, which was a method of wood construction used primarily in the United States up until the mid-1950s. This technique utilized long continuous framing studs that ran from the sill plate to eave line with intermediate floor structures nailed to them; wall sheathing, usually a plywood, was applied to the framing thus eliminating the need for scaffolds. A makeshift ladder "leans" along the right side of the wooden frame. Photograph dated: February 26, 1925.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;14 x 25 cm. on sheet 21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Central Library (Los Angeles, Calif.) Los Angeles Public Library Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments Building construction--California--Los Angeles Wooden-frame buildings--California--Los Angeles Construction workers--California--Los Angeles Framing (Building)--California--Los Angeles Library buildings--California--Los Angeles Building sites--California--Los Angeles Winslow, Carleton M.,1919- Goodhue, Bertram Grosvenor,1869-1924 Downtown Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Calif.)
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