Monday, August 24, 2015

Bookish Places

I've done some traveling and I always try to find a connection to books sometimes. Maybe it's as little as a bookshop or small museum. These are some of my two favorite places I've found.

The Rosenbach Museum


The Rosenbach Museum is a house full of antiques and books-- in other words a place full of history. The organization was set up by two brothers in their will, they were both dealers of antiques and rare books. Their house was cultivated by them during their lifetime as they served the rich families of America. The museum has a beautiful library pungent with the smell of books. It houses the handwritten manuscript of Ulysses by James Joyce and letters from the Founding Fathers of the USA.

The antiques breathe of the stories of two men who found old ta;es the most intriguing. I try to comprehend the luxury they enjoyed with delicate leaves of books and wood from Orient. Seeing miles of books waiting to be conversed with breaks my heart, they are from the first century of printing to first editions to some of the great pieces of literature. The Rosenbach is the spirit of my inner historical object lover.

The New York Public Library Main Branch


This is the library branch of DREAMS. When I envision a classical library filled with study tables and lines and stacks of books of knowledge this is it. I lived in New York when I was younger and would sometimes drag my parents there just soak up the ambiance of the place, even if I couldn't understand any of the books. The intimidating building makes it have an old world feel of how the building speaks, an old grandfather passing down wisdom.

Even then looking through the building there are small references I would notice. Sometimes the statues are standing in reference in front of a room. These rooms sometimes house special collections likes maps. I would want anybody who stops by in New York to just take a walk through the halls to experience the majesty of how a library once was supposed to be.


What are some of your favorite bookish places?

2 comments:

  1. In Singapore, the bookish places that we often go to is POPULAR Book and Stationary Store or the National Library. One good thing is that there is many libraries in Singapore (There should be 1 near every MRT station) I like the way you describe the library as Dreams. :D I totally agree. Just curious, the museum that you mentioned, is it a library too?? It would be real cool to have a library in a museum!!

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    1. It's so cool in Singapore you are so close to the National Library, in the states our equivalent is the Library of Congress. I went there before and it's paradise. The museum (Rosenbach) is a research library, but you can request a book before hand even if it is just personal curiosity.

      Amelia @ YA Bookologist

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