Skip to content
THE BOOKSTORE IS CURRENTLY OPEN FOR CURBSIDE PICKUP ONLY • IN-STORE SHOPPING IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME
The Gamble House Bookstore
(0) Cart
The Gamble House Bookstore
Search
  • Log in
  • Register
Cart (0)
  • Apparel & Accessories +Toggle menu
    • T-Shirts, Hats & Socks
    • Face Masks
    • Umbrellas & Rain Capes
    • Men's Accessories
    • Scarves
    • Jewelry
    • Bags
    • Fans
    • Pins, Keychains & Magnets
  • Books & DVDs +Toggle menu
    • Book Accessories
    • Gamble House
    • Arts & Crafts Movement
    • Architects & Designers
    • Japanese Architecture
    • General Architecture
    • California
    • Art & Design
    • Fashion & Textiles
    • Furniture & Woodworking
    • Glass & Lighting
    • Silver, Metalwork & Jewelry
    • Pottery & Tiles
    • Gardening & Nature
  • Games, Puzzles & Stationery +Toggle menu
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Coloring Books
    • Paper Crafts
    • Individual Cards
    • Boxed Notes
    • Notebooks & Journals
    • Gift Wrap
  • Home & Garden +Toggle menu
    • Clocks
    • Copper
    • Desk Accessories
    • Embroidery Kits
    • Table Runners & Pillows
    • Kitchen
    • Bath &. Body
    • Glass & Lighting
    • Prints & Picture Frames
    • Tiles & Pottery
    • Ikebana & Gardens
  • Kids
  • Back to the Future
  • Holiday Shop
  • Register
  • Log in
Curbside Pickup Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 10am-4pm
Can't find what you're looking for? Give us a call! 626-449-4178
Curbside Pickup Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 10am-4pm

Los Angeles Central Library

$45.00
Minus Plus

In the most comprehensive investigation of the Los Angeles Public Library's early history and architectural genesis ever undertaken, Kenneth Breisch chronicles the institution's first six decades, from its founding as a private library association in 1872 through the completion of the iconic Central Library building in 1933. During this time, the library evolved from an elite organization ensconced in two rooms in downtown
LA into one of the largest public library systems in the United States--with architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue's building, a beloved LA landmark, as its centerpiece.

Goodhue developed a new style, fully integrating the building's sculptural and epigraphic program with its architectural forms to express a complex iconography. Working closely with sculptor Lee Oskar Lawrie and philosopher Hartley Burr Alexander, he created a great civic monument that, combined with the library's murals, embodies an overarching theme: the light of learning.

"A building should read like a book, from its title entrance to its alley colophon," wrote Alexander--a narrative approach to design that serves as a key to understanding Goodhue's architectural gem. Breisch draws on a wealth of primary source material to tell the story of one of the most important American buildings of the twentieth century and illuminates the formation of an indispensible modern public institution: the American public library. 

Share
  • Facebook Share on Facebook
  • Twitter Share on Twitter
  • Pinterest Pin the main image
Share
  • Facebook Share on Facebook
  • Twitter Share on Twitter
  • Pinterest Pin the main image
4 Westmoreland Place Pasadena, CA 91103
bookstore@gamblehouse.org
626-449-4178
  • SEARCH
  • WHAT WE’RE DOING TO KEEP YOU, OUR VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF SAFE >> LEARN MORE
Signup for our newsletter
© 2021 The Gamble House Bookstore. Powered by Shopify
American Express Apple Pay Diners Club Discover Elo Google Pay JCB Mastercard Shop Pay Visa