The Boston Public Library is recognized as the second largest Public Library in the US, behind only the Library of Congress. The main building, also known as the McKim Building, at the corner of Dartmouth and Boylston Streets in Copley Square, opened in 1895 and was designed by Charles Follen McKim in the Italian renaissance style to resemble a classic Roman palace including a central courtyard. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 for its architectural and historical significance.
It's a daunting endeavor to try and capture the grandeur and beauty of the interiors of this magnificent building in the two-dimensional format of photography. Here are a few of the photographs I made during a recent visit. My awe and curiosity for this space have not been sated, and I'm sure to be back there soon with my camera and tripod.
The main entrance staircase to the McKim Building with the twin statues of lions, sculpted by artist Louis Saint-Gaudens.
Another view of the marble main staircase and the lions. The lions are a memorial to the 2nd and 20th Massachusetts Regiments of the Civil War.
A view of the main staircase and hallway from the second floor of the McKim Building.
Bates Hall, the great reading room of the Boston Public Library, was named after Joshua Bates, the library's first great benefactor.
Sargent Gallery is named for the great American painter John Singer Sargent, who spent years decorating its walls with his powerful and original mural sequence, Triumph of Religion.