Now that’s what I call a library! Fit to hide a copy of The Necronomicon in…

Picture on Flickr | Set on Flickr

A useful reminder of how magnificent a public library could be in Lovecraft’s youth. Are there similar pictures of the interior of the public libraries in Providence during the early years of the 20th century?

The current Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County website has a deeply buried about the building page with another picture of the interior. The guilty local worthies who decided to do away with this magnificent library are not named. Interesting how such cultural/architectural vandals always seem to be able to slip unnoticed out of city histories. But you might find the answer in the official book on the library.