Old Library, Bristol
Encyclopedia
The Old Library is a historic building on the north side of King Street
, Bristol
, England
. It was built in 1738–40 and has been designated by English Heritage
as a grade II* listed building.
Until 1906 it housed the main collections of Bristol's public library
, which was one of the first in England when it was founded in 1613 on the same site. Users of the library included Samuel Taylor Coleridge
, Robert Southey
and Humphrey Davy. From 1779 the building also contained one of the country's first public displays of fossil
s.
in 1608 and Ipswich
in 1612.. It was originally housed in the King Street lodge of Bristol merchant Robert Redwood, who donated it to Bristol Corporation
. When this building decayed the city replaced it in 1738–40 on the same site.
In 1772 the King Street library was taken over by the Bristol Library Society, a subscription library
. Over time its private membership would include Samuel Taylor Coleridge
, Robert Southey
and Humphrey Davy. Southey joined in 1793 and his very first borrowing, William Enfield
's History of Philosophy, contained utopian
material which gave him ideas for a "Southeyopolis", recorded in his correspondence of that year. This was months in advance of his development of Pantisocracy
with Coleridge in 1794. In 1795 his borrowings of Classical history books corresponded to topics he was covering in a series of public lectures in Bristol.
In the 19th century, complaints were recorded both by the Bristol Library Society, which wanted the space occupied by the city's collection for its own books, and by the Bristol public, who were denied access to both collections. The city eventually ejected the Society, making the library free to the public from 1856. In 1876 after a refurbishment it was renamed as the Central Library.
In 1899 Vincent Stuckey Lean left a bequest
of £50,000 for a new library building. As a result, in 1906 the library was moved to the newly built Bristol Central Library
on College Green
. The King Street building eventually became a restaurant.
Palladian
style, with a 5-window front including a 3-window centre with a pediment
. The shallow porch
, which has fluted
Composite
columns, is unobtrusive in a similar way to other buildings of the 1730s in Bristol.
It was probably designed by the stonemason and carver James Paty the Elder, the first in a succession of members of the Paty family prominent as builders of 18th century Bristol, although John Strahan
has also been suggested as a possible architect. Another possibility that has been suggested is William Halfpenny
. The imposing and disproportionately tall first storey of the Old Library was echoed in Halfpenny's designs a few years later for Clifton Court and Coopers' Hall
, although this could have been imitation of Paty's design.
It is believed that Paty did carve the building's ornamentation. Unfortunately, many of the decorative features have been lost over time and as a result of repairs. Decaying features such as a fine Bristol coat of arms
on the pediment, figures of putti
depicted reading books above the first floor windows, and much of the mouldings
and other details, were removed in the 20th century instead of being restored. One of the putti may have survived; there is one on the wall of St Michael on the Mount Primary School on St Michael's Hill in Bristol, which may have come from the library.
A west wing, projecting towards the street, was added in the late 18th century.
The Old Library's reading room had contained antique furniture and fittings, including an ornate oak
overmantel carved by Grinling Gibbons
. These were moved to the Bristol Room of the new Central Library.
, the Archbishop of York
, who was born in Bristol. In 1906 it was transferred to the new Central Library, which also reacquired the Bristol Library Society's reference collection of 45,000 books.
In the 19th century the library was the first in the country to establish a "Local Collection", containing local history books and maps. Since then the Central Library's Local Studies Service has gone on to gain "designated status" under the national Designation Scheme
.
The Old Library housed one of the first public displays of fossils in the country, obtained in 1779 from the bequest by the Bristolian geologist
Alexander Catcott
of his collections of books, fossils and minerals. Later transferred to the Bristol Museum
, the fossils were destroyed in World War II
. However Catcott's books were in the new Central Library and survived.
King Street, Bristol
King Street is a 17th century street in the historic city centre of Bristol, England.The street lies just south of the old town wall and was laid out in 1650 in order to develop the Town Marsh, the area then lying between the south or Marsh Wall and the Avon...
, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was built in 1738–40 and has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a grade II* listed building.
Until 1906 it housed the main collections of Bristol's public library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, which was one of the first in England when it was founded in 1613 on the same site. Users of the library included Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
, Robert Southey
Robert Southey
Robert Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the so-called "Lake Poets", and Poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 to his death in 1843...
and Humphrey Davy. From 1779 the building also contained one of the country's first public displays of fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s.
History
Founded in 1613, Bristol's public library was only preceded in England by those of NorwichNorwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
in 1608 and Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
in 1612.. It was originally housed in the King Street lodge of Bristol merchant Robert Redwood, who donated it to Bristol Corporation
History of local government in Bristol
Bristol City Council, formerly known as The Bristol Corporation , is the local government authority governing the city of Bristol, England. Following the Norman conquest of England in 1066, successive royal charters granted increasing rights of local governance to Bristol...
. When this building decayed the city replaced it in 1738–40 on the same site.
In 1772 the King Street library was taken over by the Bristol Library Society, a subscription library
Subscription library
A subscription library is a library that is financed by private funds either from membership fees or endowments...
. Over time its private membership would include Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
, Robert Southey
Robert Southey
Robert Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the so-called "Lake Poets", and Poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 to his death in 1843...
and Humphrey Davy. Southey joined in 1793 and his very first borrowing, William Enfield
William Enfield
William Enfield was a British Unitarian minister who published a bestselling book on elocution entitled The Speaker .-Life:...
's History of Philosophy, contained utopian
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
material which gave him ideas for a "Southeyopolis", recorded in his correspondence of that year. This was months in advance of his development of Pantisocracy
Pantisocracy
Pantisocracy was a utopian scheme devised in 1794 by the poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey for an egalitarian community...
with Coleridge in 1794. In 1795 his borrowings of Classical history books corresponded to topics he was covering in a series of public lectures in Bristol.
In the 19th century, complaints were recorded both by the Bristol Library Society, which wanted the space occupied by the city's collection for its own books, and by the Bristol public, who were denied access to both collections. The city eventually ejected the Society, making the library free to the public from 1856. In 1876 after a refurbishment it was renamed as the Central Library.
In 1899 Vincent Stuckey Lean left a bequest
Bequest
A bequest is the act of giving property by will. Strictly, "bequest" is used of personal property, and "devise" of real property. In legal terminology, "bequeath" is a verb form meaning "to make a bequest."...
of £50,000 for a new library building. As a result, in 1906 the library was moved to the newly built Bristol Central Library
Bristol Central Library
Bristol Central Library is a historic building on the south side of College Green, Bristol, England. It contains the main collections of Bristol's public library....
on College Green
College Green, Bristol
College Green is a public open space in Bristol, England. The Green takes the form of a segment of a circle with its apex pointing east, and covers...
. The King Street building eventually became a restaurant.
Architecture and Fittings
The present King Street building dates from 1738–40. It was built in the early GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
Palladian
Palladian architecture
Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...
style, with a 5-window front including a 3-window centre with a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
. The shallow porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
, which has fluted
Fluting (architecture)
Fluting in architecture refers to the shallow grooves running vertically along a surface.It typically refers to the grooves running on a column shaft or a pilaster, but need not necessarily be restricted to those two applications...
Composite
Composite order
The composite order is a mixed order, combining the volutes of the Ionic order capital with the acanthus leaves of the Corinthian order. The composite order volutes are larger, however, and the composite order also has echinus molding with egg-and-dart ornamentation between the volutes...
columns, is unobtrusive in a similar way to other buildings of the 1730s in Bristol.
It was probably designed by the stonemason and carver James Paty the Elder, the first in a succession of members of the Paty family prominent as builders of 18th century Bristol, although John Strahan
John Strahan
John Strahan was an architect working in Bristol and Bath, England in the early 18th century. He died around 1740.-List of works:* Shakespeare Public House, Bristol * Combe Hay Manor Combe Hay 1728 to 1730* Frampton Court, Frampton-on-Severn...
has also been suggested as a possible architect. Another possibility that has been suggested is William Halfpenny
William Halfpenny
William Halfpenny was an English 18th-century architectural designer; in some of his publications he described himself as "architect and carpenter". He also wrote under the name of Michael Hoare.-Life and architectural work:...
. The imposing and disproportionately tall first storey of the Old Library was echoed in Halfpenny's designs a few years later for Clifton Court and Coopers' Hall
Bristol Old Vic
The Bristol Old Vic is a theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, King Street, in Bristol, England. The theatre complex includes the 1766 Theatre Royal, which claims to be the oldest continually-operating theatre in England, along with a 1970s studio theatre , offices and backstage facilities...
, although this could have been imitation of Paty's design.
It is believed that Paty did carve the building's ornamentation. Unfortunately, many of the decorative features have been lost over time and as a result of repairs. Decaying features such as a fine Bristol coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
on the pediment, figures of putti
Putto
A putto is a figure of an infant often depicted as a young male. Putti are defined as chubby, winged or wingless, male child figure in nude. Putti are distinct from cherubim, but some English-speakers confuse them with each other, except that in the plural, "the Cherubim" refers to the biblical...
depicted reading books above the first floor windows, and much of the mouldings
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
and other details, were removed in the 20th century instead of being restored. One of the putti may have survived; there is one on the wall of St Michael on the Mount Primary School on St Michael's Hill in Bristol, which may have come from the library.
A west wing, projecting towards the street, was added in the late 18th century.
The Old Library's reading room had contained antique furniture and fittings, including an ornate oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
overmantel carved by Grinling Gibbons
Grinling Gibbons
Grinling Gibbons was an English sculptor and wood carver known for his work in England, including St Paul's Cathedral, Blenheim Palace and Hampton Court Palace. He was born and educated in Holland where his father was a merchant...
. These were moved to the Bristol Room of the new Central Library.
Former collections
In 1613 the library's founding collection was the donation of Tobias MatthewTobias Matthew
Tobias Matthew was Archbishop of York.-Life:He was the son of Sir John Matthew of Ross in Herefordshire, England, and of his wife Eleanor Crofton of Ludlow. He was born at Bristol and was educated at Wells, Somerset, and then in succession at University College and Christ Church, Oxford...
, the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
, who was born in Bristol. In 1906 it was transferred to the new Central Library, which also reacquired the Bristol Library Society's reference collection of 45,000 books.
In the 19th century the library was the first in the country to establish a "Local Collection", containing local history books and maps. Since then the Central Library's Local Studies Service has gone on to gain "designated status" under the national Designation Scheme
Designation Scheme
The Designation Scheme is an English system that awards "designated status" to museums and library collections considered to be of great importance by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council . As of 2009, 125 collections are officially recognized...
.
The Old Library housed one of the first public displays of fossils in the country, obtained in 1779 from the bequest by the Bristolian geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
Alexander Catcott
Alexander Catcott
The Reverend Alexander Catcott was an English geologist and theologian born in Bristol, who became the vicar of Temple Church, Bristol and the author of numerous works on science and theology....
of his collections of books, fossils and minerals. Later transferred to the Bristol Museum
Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery
The Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery is a large museum and art gallery in Bristol, England. It is run by the city council with no entrance fee. It holds designated museum status, granted by the national government to protect outstanding museums...
, the fossils were destroyed in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. However Catcott's books were in the new Central Library and survived.