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. Interior view of the Children's Department at Los Angeles Central Library. A life-size mural illustrating Sir Walter Scott's story of "Ivanhoe" - specifically the wedding of Ivanhoe and Rowena - grace the wall above the bookshelves and doorway. Julian E. Garnsey and A.W. Parsons painted a total of ten friezes depicting different Ivanhoe scenes on the walls surrounding the Children's Department. Miraculously, this department did not sustain damage during the fire that ravaged the upper levels of Central Library on April 29, 1986. When the library re-opened its doors on October 3, 1993, the Children's Department had been relocated to a different section within the building, and the International Languages Department relocated to the section pictured in this photograph.
Type
Image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;14 x 11 cm. on sheet 26 x 21 cm. Photographic prints
Scott, Walter,--1771-1832.--Ivanhoe Los Angeles Public Library Central Library (Los Angeles, Calif.) Murals--California--Los Angeles Libraries--California--Los Angeles Interiors--California--Los Angeles Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments Garnsey, Julian E.(Julian Ellsworth),b. 1887 Goodhue, Bertram Grosvenor,1869-1924 Winslow, Carlton M Parsons, A. W.(Anthony William),1928- Downtown Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Calif.)
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