East Ham library

Brief description

Designed by AH Campbell, borough architect. The building forms an extension to East Ham town hall.

Awarded Grade II listing in 1982.

Current status: Still open as a public library, run by Newham council (2016)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant:
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 26 March 1908 by J Passmore Edwards

Photo of library today (2009):

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Oddly – although this postcard says East Ham library, and is in a similar style, I dont think its the library above (not least because it actually has carved in stone the name Passmore Edwards….. one to investigate!)

Visited?

Yes, in 2009.

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register

Clapton library

Brief description

One of the 3 libraries in Hackney designed by Edwin Cooper (the other 2 are Homerton, and Dalston library (demolished). Described in the listing as being in a ‘restrained classical’ style. Built by F J Gorham. The foundation stone was laid on 17 May 1913, by the Mayor, Councillor Henry E Davenport JP.

Shepheard Epstein Hunter (who also worked on the Carnegie library in Enfield)  was commissioned to design an extension and restore the original fabric, and the newly extended library reopened in 2010..

Awarded Grade II listing in 2003.

Current status: Still open as a public library, run by Hackney council (2023)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant:
• Year opened (and by who): 17 January 1914 by Councillor Charles Winkley, JP and (new) Mayor.

Photo of library in 2009:

When I visited, the library was mid way through its refurbishment, so my photo shows more scaffolding than library…… must go back now it has reopened.

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

Yes, but see above…..

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register
• SEH website: refurbishment project
• Article on e-architect about the library and refurbishment

Homerton library

Brief description

Designed by Sir Thomas Edwin Cooper, the entire building was built from scratch in just 9 months, 1912-13.

Given Grade II listing in 1981.

Current status: Closed as a library in 1974, became Chats Palace arts centre. (2016)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant:
• Year opened (and by who – if known):  1913

Photo of library today (2010):

Photo credit: flickr user sarflondondunc (cc licence)

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

Not yet

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register
• What is Chats Palace?
• Chats Palace to mark centenary of building

Manor Park library

Brief description

The foundation stone was laid on 2 June 1904 by Passmore Edwards (another philanthropist who funded libraries).

Awarded Grade II listing in 1974

Current status: The library closed c 2012. After lying empty for 3 years, funding was found to transform it. Now a “workspace for creative business” (2016)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant: £5,000
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 3 August 1905 by the Rt Hon James Bryce MP.

Photo of library today (2009):

Details:

Another library that features a bust of Andrew Carnegie

Old photo of library (postcard):

Visited?

Yes, in 2009.

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register
• Create London website
• Article on plans for the reuse of the library building
• Newham story website: image of the library hall

Lea Bridge library

Brief description

Designed by William Jacques, in what the listing describes as “mannered classical style”.

In 2021, the library was extended with a new section built on the right hand side. Described as a “contemporary oak and glass extension”, as the library is a listed building, planning requirements stipulated that the new build element should not resemble a traditional extension, but should appear to ‘float’ separately alongside the old building.

Awarded Grade II listing in 1986

Current status: Still open as a public library, run by Waltham Forest council (2023)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant:
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 1905

Photo of library in 2009:

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

Yes, in 2009, but didn’t go inside. Update 2021: the new extension looks good – perhaps it is time to plan a revisit.

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register
• Entry on the Waymarking site (relates to the blue plaque)
• News article: Lea Bridge library extension opens to public (September 2021)
• News article: Apollo completes makeover at historic library (Article dated 3 November 2010 – assume an error)
• News article: Studio Weave adds wood-lined community space to east London library (November 2022. includes photos)

Kingston upon Thames library

Brief description

New library was planned in 1900. It was designed by Alfred Cox (who also designed the neighbouring museum and art gallery). Initially a loan of £6,000 was raised, but when the cost exceeded the estimate,  Carnegie awarded a grant of £2,000 and came to open the new library. According to Julian McCarthy’s book: Secret Kingston upon Thames through time, Carnegie was “so impressed, that he cleared all debts and thus enabled Kingston museum to be built.”

Awarded Grade II listing in 1973.

Current status: Still open as a public library, run by The Royal Borough of Kingston council (2016)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant: £2,000
• Year opened (and by who – if known):  11 May 1903, by Andrew Carnegie.

Photo of library in 2011:

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Visited?

Yes, in 2011, but it was closed, so we couldn’t see inside.

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register
• On the centenary of Carnegie’s death (11/8/2019), Kingston library tweeted a photo of the opening day. It illustrates a comment made in the R4 programme broadcast on 11/8 – Carnegie was a very short man!

Teddington library

Brief description

Built in 1906, and designed by a famous victorian/edwardian architect, Henry Cheers. Pevsner was a bit rude about his design, calling it: “jolly Baroque with two scrolly gables”.

The library was refurbished in 2008, reopening in April 2009.

Awarded Grade II listing in 2011. Nb the listing (linked below) provides more information than usual about public libraries and the architect.

Current status: Still open as a public library, run by London Borough of Richmond on Thames (2023)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant: £3,350
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 1906

Photo of library in 2011:

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Thankyou to Alan Winter for sending me this image of the library c1910

Visited?

Yes, in 2011.

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register
• Entry on Celsus: a library architecture resource
• About the architect, Henry Cheers and his work on Teddington library
• Discovering Richmond upon Thames libraries (blog post, Dec 2018) Contains a section on both Twickenham and Teddington Carnegie libraries.

Islington South library

Brief description

The foundation stone was laid by Alderman JS Elliott JP, Mayor of Islington, on 30 May 1915. The architect was Mervyn E Macartney. The building was completed December 1916 during the mayoralty of Alderman Sir George Elliot, but not opened officially until 1921. I guess WWI intervened.

Awarded Grade II listing in 1994.

Current status: Still open as a public library, run by Islington Council (2023)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant:
• Year opened (and by who): 21 May 1921 by the Mayor Cllr EH King JP

Photo of library in 2016:

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

Thanks to a friend who has just moved to Islington, we had the excuse to visit all 4 of the libraries endowed by Carnegie in August 2016. All 4 are still open as public libraries, and all 4 were open on a Saturday. This library was also really busy when I popped in. The entrance hall is panelled in grey and white marble, but the nicest surprise was the oval stairwell at the back – with pretty iron balustrades and an oval skylight.

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register

Islington North library

Brief description

The foundation stone was laid by AM Torrance JP, Mayor of Islington, on 28 October 1905.
The architect was Henry T Hare (also responsible for central library).

Awarded Grade II listing in 1994.

Current status: Still open as a public library, run by Islington Council (2023)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant: £7,000
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 29 September 1906, by Alderman Henry Mills JP, Mayor of Islington

Photo of library in 2016:

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

Thanks to a friend who has just moved to Islington, we had the excuse to visit all 4 of the libraries endowed by Carnegie in August 2016. All 4 are still open as public libraries, and all 4 were open on a Saturday. The North branch was lovely inside, while the front is rectangular and almost symmetrical, the back is semi circular. Downstairs, this is the section that has the computers and lots of reading spaces, while upstairs, at the front there is a lecture room, and the back is the childrens library (a change from the original design, as it used to be on the ground floor at the front – as confirmed by the names painted on the entrance doors). The childrens library still has the original shelving all around the edge, but is also bright and colourful in decoration and the additional moveable shelves.

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register

Islington Central library

Brief description

The foundation stone was laid by Alderman Henry Mills JP, Mayor of Islington, on 16 June 1906. The architect was Henry T Hare, and the builder was CP Roberts. Enlarged in the mid 1970s. The stone front has 2 statues: on the right -Bacon, on the left – Spenser.

There was a major renovation project, which began in 2019. It included a reimagining of the reference library on the second floor and the development of a new space for First Steps Learning Centre on the first floor. The final phase was a complete refurbishment of the lending library, completed in January 2022, which also saw the original front entrance being reopened for the first time since the 1970s.

Awarded Grade II listing in 1972.

Current status: Still open as a public library, run by Islington Council (2023)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant: £20,000
• Year opened (and by who): 4 October 1907 by Sir Arthur Rucker, principal of the University of London

Photo of library in 2018:

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet, but I found this one online:

Image downloaded from the Islington media site (dated 1907)

Visited?

Thanks to a friend who has just moved to Islington, we had the excuse to visit all 4 of the libraries endowed by Carnegie in August 2016. All 4 are still open as public libraries, and all 4 were open on a Saturday. Central library was probably the most surprising, as while the stone facade on Holloway Road is impressive, the library has been hugely extended and most of it is now out the back. The door with its impressive stone porch now leads to a childrens  centre. and the library entrance is in the new section. It was absolutely buzzing, with loads of visitors, reading, using the computers and choosing books. Upstairs is the childrens section, which had a lively display based around participation in the Summer Reading Challenge, and one young lad was being quizzed on the book he had just read.

Visited again in 2018 – spent a bit of time in the lovely vaulted roofed reference room, and heard about their plans for refurbishment.

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register
• News article: Islington’s Central Library renovation sees new hub for acclaimed theatre company and reopening of historic entrance (March 2022)