HistoryEdinburgh Central Library / / / / George IV Bridge / / / CowgateISSUE

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Contents

Library

13-14 History

03-08 History09-12 Photography

Vaults

cowgate 1877 cowgate 1894

cowgate 1934 cowgate 1990

The area before the Central Library

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Thomas Hope‘s Lintel

Sir Thomas Hope was a distinguished lawyer and appointed the King‘s Advocate by Chalrles I in 1626. His mansion was considered one of the finest and most gracious for its time, sited in the Cowgate where the Central Library now stands.

George Washington Brown incorporated this lintel and the one outside the Scottish Library into the new building, providing a line history back to seventeenth century.

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The Carnegie Library

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when was it built

by whom

for whom

why

9th July 1887

designed by George Washington Brown

for the town council, for the public, donated by Andrew Carnegie

Edinburgh didn‘t had a Free Public Library before that time and because a free library would be a great good to the city

The Edinburgh Central Library on George IV Bridge is the only Carnegie library in Scotland‘s capital city.Andrew Carnegie laid the memorial foundation stone on 9th July 1887. Three years later the library was officially opened by Lord Rosebery on 9th June 1890, with the public allowed access one week later.

The library building was designed by George Washington Browne in the French Renaissance style with much elaborate decoration.The front elevation, with the entrance on George IV Bridge is deceptive, as there are actually 4 storeys below the bridge, with the library standing in the gorge below. The elevations below the bridge are completely unadorned.

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Extension of the Tower Block at the north west corner od the building

1903

The competition was announced

The formal opening of the building

Growth had become such that the Library Committee agreed „that some steps would require to be taken at an early date to obtain additional accommodation for the books.“

After the rejection of adoption of a free public library from the citizens of Edinburgh, Andrew Carnegie donated 50 000 Pounds to built a free library.

Less than one year later. Carnegie himself laid the foundation stone of the new library.The reason to chose the George IV Bridge was because of the central situation, potential for expansion and comporative low cost.The conclusion of research of other libraries was: ‚a strong feeling in favour of electric light; that a library may be worked ‚with greater ease‘ if all books are accessible without of a ladder; that thick floorcloth is desirable, such as cork, that female labour should be considered‘ and, finally ‚that the main points to be looked to in the architecture of a public library are light and fresh air.‘

April 1886 March 1887 9th July 1887 9th June 1890 1896

The winning design was in the French Renaissance style, harmonising with existing building near to the site from the Architect Mr George Washington Browne

how has it changed since then and why

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With the creation of two departmeents and subsequent re-adjustment elsewhere, it was clear that the space within the Washington Brown builiding had been filled to its maximum capacity.

Acquisition and reconstruction of the adjacent building north of the library No. 3 George IV Bridge, the former headquaters of teh Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. Creation of the Junior Library and the Fine Art Library and later the Music Library

14 July 1932 1936-37 1947

Additional space was acquired by the purchase of permises at Nos. 9/9a George IV Bridge. The Junior was transfered to this building

A mezzanine floor was completed at the Library Newsroom, so the space was used as a Reference Library/Edinburgh room and the Scottish Department.

After this no more mezzanine floor could be introduced into the building because no structural load could be safely imposed on the 75 year old building.

While the flow of printed material which must be purchased and accomodated continues unabated, modern information technology has provided an opportunity to review the formats in which information is published and stored, and increasingly to make choices between space consuming hard copy and „on demand“ electric delivery...

1957

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Photographs of the library building from 1934

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View of the news room, Edinburgh Central Library. 1934

photographs - interiorphotographs - interior

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Views of the new Scottish Library/Edinburgh room 1950

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newsroom

LeftCowgate Arch of the George IV Bridge 1860

RightCowgate Arch of the George IV Bridge 2009

George IV BridgeGeorge IV Bridge represents an elevated street, some 300m (1000 feet) in length, which crosses the Cowgate, and links Chambers Street and the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. The bridge was built between 1829 and 1832 as a consequence of the Improvement Act of 1827, by architect Thomas Hamilton (1784 - 1858), to provide more effective access to the Old Town from the expanding south side of the city. Its construction required the demolition of two of the Old Town's traditional streets; namely the Old Bank Close and Liberton's Wynd. Only two of the arches supporting the bridge are visible in the Cowgate and Merchant Street, but the others provide vaults and cellars for the tall buildings which rise from ground level to well above the street level of the bridge.

www.scottish-places.info

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