Windflowers: A Love Affair

I have a deep and abiding love of libraries. My father had his own extensive collection of books and I can remember lifting a green book from his shelves unable to read at that early stage but burning with curiosity. Many libraries often began as private collections. For example Pierpoint Morgan's Library in New York was made by the financier Pierpoint Morgan (1837-1913) during the years of 1902 - 1906. Eleven years after his death his son J P Morgan converted it into a public institution. It is startlingly beautiful.

So lovely to have this resource available to the public, mind you they have to pay 20 dollars to get in.

You don't have to pay to get into the New York Public library. It was created from the private libraries of Astor, Lenox and Tilden being amalgamated into a new library in 1989. The new library opened in its present position in 1911. The building itself is grand enough.

But it is the Rose Main Reading Room which lies inside that makes my heart beat, despite never having had the delight of visiting it.

So during a visit to my son in Manchester, this summer, I took advantage of both the huge bookshops and lovely libraries available. Rylands library in Manchester is a Gothic structure strangely imposing from the outside.

Despite its deceptively aged exterior look it was constructed and took ten years to build, opening in 1900. It was built in memory of Manchester's first millionaire John Ryland (1801-1888) by his widow. It has a somber beauty to it.

With strange dark corners and bookcases that hint of mysterious contents. The Rylands Library contains a fragment of St John's gospel, only 3.5 by 2.5 inches in Greek dating from the second or early third century. Recently, one team of researchers stated that they may have found the oldest-known copy of a gospel within the papyrus-wrapped mask of mummy. When wrapping mummies scraps of papyrus from all kinds of sources were used including it turns out stories from the the Greek poet Homer to mundane business/personal letters etc The writing on this scrap is thought to be a part of the Gospel of Mark and dates back to around 90 A.D.—decades earlier than any other previously discovered gospel text.

But by far my favourite library is the Public library of Manchester. The Public Libraries Act was passed in 1850 and in response Manchester was the first local authority to provide a free lending and reference library. The official opening of the public library was attended by Charles Dickens in 1852. The present existing public library was opened in 1934 and was based on the Pantheon in Rome. It is wonderfully impressive from the exterior.

Having gone through much restoration the inside is equally delightful.

High above this dome there are inscribed the memorable words from the bible,

“

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her, she shall give of thine head an ornament of grace, a crown of glory she shall deliver to thee.Proverbs 4:7”

What a wonderful reminder of what libraries should be all about. I found the library full of people from all walks of life. There were media booths, archives, maps, computers, coffee shop, study booths and books in all languages. I felt strangely touched watching a Chinese couple choosing from the extensive Chinese bookshelves. How wonderful to find yourself in a foreign country and yet discover your culture respected and acknowledged so openly. A down and out character with holes in his socks and no shoes sat in comfort staring at the ceiling but enjoying the warmth and company around him.

Moving to a different level of the library I discovered the music section with pianos, drum kits, mixing decks and other musical instruments all available to members of the public. This is the Henry Watson Music Library. Henry Watson(1846-1911) was originally an errand boy in a Blackburn music store and by six had taught himself the dulcimer. By ten he was a session musician and by fourteen he was touring the county as an accompanist to an antislavery show. At 18 he was part of a booming instrument repair business. He went on to get a doctorate from Cambridge and was a prolific composer and arranger. He founded a library of 15,000 rare scores, 300 instruments and 200, 000 volumes of printed music. Despite being completely self taught this errand boy ended up a professor of the Manchester College of Music. He would have been delighted, as I was, to come upon an African teenager with headphones playing the set of drums with intensity and concentration in a library donated by him. A famous composer was curious about a detail in the horn part of the slow movement in Beethoven's 4th Symphony. Fortunately this library contains the 1st edition of the full score and band parts. He was able to find the notes never performed in modern editions but there faithfully recorded as it was originally played.

If ever you are in Manchester check out this amazing building and soak up its wonderful atmosphere.