Historic libraries · London
London Library
London Library — independent lending library in London, established in 1841.
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Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 45 min–1.5 h
- Nearest railway station
- Piccadilly Circus · 0.3 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
London Library is a historic library in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1841. Heritage designation: Grade II listed building. Address: http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q500529. Wikidata describes it as: "independent lending library in London, established in 1841". Coordinates: 51.5074°, -0.1368°.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
The London Library is an independent lending library in London, established in 1841. Membership is open to all, on payment of an annual subscription, with life and corporate memberships also available. As of December 2023 the Library had around 7,500 members. The Library was founded on the initiative of Thomas Carlyle, who was dissatisfied with some of the policies at the British Museum Library. It is located at 14 St James's Square, in the St James's area of the City of Westminster, which has been its home since 1845. T. S. Eliot, a long-serving president of the library, argued in July 1952 in an address to members that, "whatever social changes come about, the disappearance of the London Library would be a disaster to civilisation".
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
by Robert Scott Tait, 31 July 1854]] The chief instigator in the Library's foundation was Thomas Carlyle. He had become frustrated by the facilities available at the British Museum Library, where he was often unable to find a seat (obliging him to perch on ladders), where he complained that the enforced close confinement with his fellow readers gave him a "museum headache", where the books were unavailable for loan, and where he found the library's collections of pamphlets and other material relating to the French Revolution and English Civil Wars inadequately catalogued. In particular, he developed an antipathy for the Keeper of Printed Books, Anthony Panizzi (despite the fact that Panizzi…
Architecture
Following its foundation in 1841, the Library spent four years occupying rooms on the first floor of 49 Pall Mall. In 1845 it moved to 14 St James's Square, and this site has been its home ever since. However, its premises have undergone a considerable number of changes and extensions over the years as the collections have grown. The property in St James's Square first occupied by the Library was a house, Beauchamp House, built in 1676 and renovated at later dates. A proposal in the 1770s (when it was owned by Lord Newhaven) to rebuild it to a design by Robert Adam was abandoned, but it was refronted shortly afterwards. It was located in the north-west corner of the square, and had a much…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.5074, -0.1368
- District
- Westminster
- Parish
- Westminster, unparished area
- Postcode
- SW1Y 4LG
- Parliamentary constituency
- Cities of London and Westminster
- Established
- 1841
- Nearest railway station
- Piccadilly Circus — 0.3 km
- Official site
- www.londonlibrary.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q269192 (CC0)
- wikipedia: London Library (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: London Library (4706652036).jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is London Library?
- London Library is in London, United Kingdom (postcode SW1Y 4LG), in the parish of Westminster, unparished area.
- When was London Library built?
- Built or established in 1841.
- Is London Library a listed building?
- London Library is officially recognised as Grade II listed building listed.
- How do I get to London Library?
- The nearest railway station is Piccadilly Circus, about 0.3 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode SW1Y 4LG.