Plaque

Beresford Pite

Erection date: 30/7/1906

Inscription

This stone was laid June 30 1906 by Councillor T. F. Bryen, Chairman of the Public Libraries Committee.
C. Dearing & Sons - Builders
W. F. Dewey - Town Clerk
Beresford Pite - Architect

The text we have transcribed is off a very dull plaque on this wall near the ground. The photograph shows the name plaque, high on the building: "West Islington Branch Library, AD MCMVI {1906}" but, much more interesting, it also allows a close up of some of the alphabet letters with which this building is adorned.

Site: Islington West Library (2 memorials)

N1, Thornhill Square, Islington West Library

We were admiring the decorative brickwork on this 1906 building, rather hoping it might have a plaque so that we could include it. It has a plaque, quite dull so we have not photographed it, but the building has the alphabet integrated into the design, all 26 letters. The photograph shows F, G and H, each carved superimposed on a Greek palmette. We cannot think of a better decoration for a library but we've never seen the alphabet honoured in this way before.

Comparing the date on the plaque inside the foyer, with the date on the stone outside, we see that the library opened exactly one week before the stone was laid.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Beresford Pite

Created by i

C. Dearing & Sons

Builders in 1906.

Read More

T. F. Bryen

1906 Councillor and Chairman of the Public Libraries Committee and Chairman o...

Read More

William Francis Dewey

Islington Town Clerk in 1894, 1897 and 1906.  Was interviewed by the Charles ...

Read More

Beresford Pite

Architect.  Born, Arthur Beresford Pite, 9 South Terrace, Grosvenor Park, Wal...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Beresford Pite

Also at this site i

Carnegie - Islington West Library

Carnegie - Islington West Library

Metropolitan Borough of Islington Public Libraries This building, towards whi...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

John Joseph Sims VC

John Joseph Sims VC

E12, Gardens Way, City of London Cemetery

A walk through this cemetery in c.1870 is described on pages 52-57 of May Sinclair’s 1919 novel ‘Mary Olivier: A Life’.  Mary is taken by...

War served | Other war
1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Aubrey Beardsley

Aubrey Beardsley

SW1, Cambridge Street, 114

London County Council Aubrey Beardsley. 1872-1898, artist, lived here.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Anchor / Barclay Perkins Brewery

Anchor / Barclay Perkins Brewery

SE1, Porter Street

Johnson was a good friend of the Thrales who owned the Anchor Brewery which once occupied this site. We've read that this image was the ...

2 subjects commemorated
Jacqueline du Pre - NW3

Jacqueline du Pre - NW3

NW3, Pilgrim's Lane, 5a

Jacqueline du Pre, 1945 - '87, cellist, lived here, 1970 - 1975. Heath and Old Hampstead Society

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Powell and Pressburger

Powell and Pressburger

NW1, Gloucester Place, Dorset House

Plaque unveiled by film director Martin Scorsese, Thelma Schoonmaker, film editor and Michael Powell's widow, his son Columba Powell and ...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator