Picton Reading Room and Hornby Library

The Picton Reading Room and Hornby Library are two grade II* listed buildings on William Brown Street, Liverpool, England which now form part of the Liverpool Central Library.

Chairman of the William Brown Library and Museum Sir James Picton laid the foundation stone of the Picton Reading Room in 1875. It was designed by Cornelius Sherlock, and modelled after the British Museum Reading Room, and was the first electrically lit library in the UK. It was completed in 1879. The front is semicircular with Corinthian columns, and the shape was chosen by the architect to cover the change in the axis of the row of buildings at this point. The Hornby Reading Room (named after Hugh Frederick Hornby) by Thomas Shelmerdine was added in 1906. It stands behind the older building and the interior is decorated in the Edwardian Imperial style.

Gallery

Hornby Library

• Hornby Library, Liverpool (5).jpg

  Library interior

• Hornby Library, Liverpool (6).jpg

  Bust of Hugh Frederick Hornby

• Hornby Library, Liverpool (7).jpg

  Library interior

Picton Library

• Bust of James Picton, Picton Library.jpg

  Bust of Sir James Picton

• Door to Hornby Library from Picton Library.jpg

  Doors to Hornby Library

• Picton Library internal.jpg

  Library interior

See also

• Architecture of Liverpool

External links

• The Picton Library
• William Brown Library and Museum
• Images of England:Picton Reading Room and Hornby Library