Sunday, January 21, 2018

Magnificent

The Library of Parliament is housed in what I think is the most beautiful space in the city. This is the main quarters for the Library, which has annexes in other spots through the National Capital Region. The staff here work with members of parliament and their staff extensively. The structure is the only part of the original Centre Block still standing. On the night of the 1916 fire, a clerk saved it by closing the heavy iron doors before evacuating, protecting it from the blaze. A statue of a young Queen Victoria is at the heart of the chamber. You might notice people working in here if you look closely- our guide spoke at length before and after we were in here, and asked us for silence while we were inside so that the staff themselves were not disrupted. Actually, the space itself tends to awe you into silence.

38 comments:

  1. This place is magnificent indeed, William.

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  2. Wow, what a beautiful library! I would love to visit, gorgeous! Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and new week!

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  3. Yes, inspiring place but I would like to browse through those stacks for a couple of hours.

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  4. I can see how that space would awe one into silence. It's gorgeous!

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  5. I'm glad that it was saved from that fire. It's beautiful!

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  6. Oh my gosh it's an incroyable library! You don't see many as impressive as this these days. Loooove the many levels.. so beautifully shown here, a delight to see, merci beaucoup William!

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  7. @Tom: it is.

    @Marie: it is grand.

    @Francisco: thank you.

    @Eileen: it is quite something to see in person.

    @Catarina: very much so.

    @Red: it has quite a collection.

    @Sharon: definitely!

    @Marleen: I agree.

    @Grace: you're welcome.

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  8. now that is my kind of reading spot. nice! ( ;

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  9. Totally awesome building, amazingly beautiful.

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  10. The beauty of that place is overwhelming. For some reason I think I've seen it before but I've never been there so it must have been in a movie or TV show. Is that possible? Your photos are superb; I think I could live in a space like that...surrounded by books! Wow!

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  11. @Stefan: it certainly was.

    @Beth: I wouldn't mind curling up there with a good book.

    @RedPat: it definitely is.

    @Bill: that's true!

    @Lowell: I have featured it before, but it's been a couple of years.

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  12. It is pretty amazing. I love the statue of Queen Victoria.

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  13. This is the place for me. Stunning.

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  14. Watching the Victoria series is really fleshing our history I knew nothing of. I admire her even more.

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  15. I believe I'd be happy to go back to work if I could do it in a place as elegant and full of history as this wonderful library.

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  16. WOW!!! Now that's a library. Beautiful!!

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  17. It looks like you are right. It is a beautiful place.

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  18. That library is one of the most beautiful rooms in the country, maybe the world!

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  19. That's really beautiful. The stacks are gorgeous, too. The layout is so fine. It's nice that you were able to get down on the main floor. You can't do that with the Library of Congress in the U.S., though you can get a view down onto it. (That's a beautiful library, too, but in a different style.)

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  20. This is amazing! I've never been in there. I do enjoy your tours!
    It's important to hang onto these books.

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  21. I love older libraries, this one is very special.

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  22. Beautiful and lovely photos ~ Such beauty!

    Happy Week to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  23. The library is stunning and thank goodness that the clerk had the presence of mind to shut the iron doors and thus save it during the fire.

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  24. I really enjoy old libraries and this one is a definite stunner, William. What a glorious place to visit. Thanks for sharing!

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  25. Stunning
    Magnificent
    Incredible

    Thanks for all of these photographs.

    All the best Jan

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  26. Makes me think of our Library of Congress. But these days, I wonder how literate our Congress actually is.

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  27. @Lois: so do I.

    @Klara: that it is.

    @Revrunner: very much so.

    @Cloudia: we see a lot of her story in our history.

    @Sallie: and it certainly is that.

    @Jenn: it really is beautiful.

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  28. @Mari: definitely.

    @Eve: I agree.

    @Furry Gnome: indeed!

    @Kay: I'd love to see that someday.

    @Jennifer: indeed.

    @Jan: it is, yes.

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  29. @Carol: thanks!

    @Lady Fi: I agree.

    @Rosemary: definitely!

    @Catalyst: that it is.

    @Beatrice: you're welcome.

    @Jan: thank you.

    @Norma: true!

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