Wednesday, December 5, 2018

The Library Fit For The Queen

The Library Of Parliament is the only surviving part of the original Centre Block, situated behind the building on the north side of the property. During the 1916 fire, a fast acting clerk quickly sealed the heavy iron doors to the library, thus saving this structure from the blaze that destroyed the rest of the building. It is adorned with wood, filled with bookshelves, and is a glorious sight to behold. The Library and its satellite locations around the National Capital Region are available for parliamentarians and their staff in research work, with a highly trained staff at their disposal. Restoration work has been done here in recent years, though the Library will be inaccessible due to the Centre Block work, and so books are presently being moved to those satellite locations.


A statue of Queen Victoria stands at its heart. Crests of provinces as they would have been organized at the dawn of the 20th century can be glimpsed amid the woodwork.


A series of display panels are found here. They include this one that refers to the work of Parliament and speeches made by foreign leaders. Winston Churchill, for instance, spoke to the House of Commons in December 1941, when he gave his Some Chicken, Some Neck speech to assembled Canadian parliamentarians.


Here we have a view of the ceiling.


I could be quite happy in here, oh... for the rest of my days. I have more inside here tomorrow.

38 comments:

  1. Wow! Very, very impressive indeed!

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  2. Bibliotecas um mundo que me fascina e encanta.
    Um abraço e continuação de uma boa semana.

    Andarilhar
    Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
    O prazer dos livros

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  3. Hello William!
    The library is very beautiful with the great woodwork! So impressive indeed!
    Like the statue of Queen Victoria ant the architecture of the ceiling!
    Thank you for sharing your wonderful pictures! Enjoy your day!
    Dimi...

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  4. How fortunate that this great library has been preserved during that big fire. It is really beautiful and it's an essential part of what was in the house.

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  5. I LOVE this place. Nothing like stacks and stacks of books in a beautiful setting to make me feel very happy.

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  6. Indeed, fit for a queen. I'm with Joan, I could be very happy here.

    Janis
    GDP

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  7. you are killing me ... tell me u did read something? anything from one of those books? can you imagine ... so cool. i miss going to a great library ...what fun. maybe i am odd (weird) i enjoy the book smell. way cool! ( ;

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  8. Hello, I would love to see this library. Just beautiful! Happy Wednesday, enjoy your day!

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  9. Oh my gosh! Now that's what you call a library William. One word.. magnificent! I can't wait to see more

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  10. @Iris: indeed!

    @Nancy: definitely!

    @Francisco: thanks!

    @Dimi: thank you.

    @Jan: that is true.

    @Tom: gorgeous indeed.

    @Joan: me too.

    @Janis: I know I would!

    @Catarina: that it is.

    @Beth: the books are beyond reach!

    @Eileen: thank you.

    @Grace: magnificent is right.

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  11. So beautiful! Thanks for sharing this place with me. I could be happy here, too. :-)

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  12. The Library is gorgeous and it's wonderful that it survived the fire, but I have to wonder what marvellous architecture was actually lost in that fire. I remember going through the Library many years ago when visiting Ottawa.

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  13. One of my favourite places I’ve ever visited!

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  14. I'm in awe of the structure, the statue of Victoria, and the "stacks" of shelves of books. The design reminds me of a church. And the reverence many of us give to the information obtained through reading doubles that quality. So glad it survived the fire.

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  15. That ia a very pretty library, beautiful building.

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  16. Wow, wow, wow! I love every thing about this building. It's gorgeous.

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  17. The library along with its wonderful 'gothic' style woodwork is a very majestic place - with or without Queen Victoria.

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  18. I remember the quietness and stillness when I visited the library.

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  19. @DJan: you're welcome.

    @Shammickite: the original Centre Block was more bright, like this space. When they rebuilt it, the legacy of the First World War called for more of a somber approach.

    @Marie: it is a grand room.

    @Barbara: it does feel like a church.

    @Marianne: it is indeed.

    @RedPat: I agree.

    @Sharon: it is!

    @Rosemary: definitely!

    @Red: it does feel very quiet in there, each time I've visited.

    @Bill: it really is.

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  20. Wow, this is a LIBRARY ! Wonderful, William !

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  21. Oh wow that is some library. Sure would like to roam around in there.

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  22. Wow! the library is gorgeous, William.

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  23. A wonderous, magical place. Tweeted.

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  24. @Karl: I agree!

    @Happyone: it is quite a sight to behold.

    @Bill: most definitely.

    @Sandi: it really is.

    @Mari: I think so too!

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  25. That might be the most magnificent library I've ever seen. It stunning.

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  26. Wow! Definitely fit for a queen! Great photos too!

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

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  27. Just to roam those stacks












    Oh, just to roam those stacks!



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  28. That clerk should be nominated for sainthood. What a beautiful place! I thought the U.S. Library of Congress was pretty special but this certainly rivals it.

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  29. Beautiful Library. Lots of wisdom, history and stories keep in a beautiful place.

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  30. @Jeanie: it is!

    @Carol: I'm going to miss being able to see it for some years.

    @Michelle: definitely!

    @Revrunner: I know the feeling.

    @Kay: it was a great act to save the place that night.

    @MDP: quite true.

    @Klara: so do I.

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