Boston Public Library’s Copley Location is equally gorgeous 100 years ago
It’s no question that Boston has a lot of history, but here’s something you can’t see on the Freedom Trail. These beautiful photos show the Boston Public Library in 1899, 1900 and 1910.
The McKim Building, built in 1895, is recognizable. Copley Square in general? Not so much.
Boston Public Library in 1899.Library of Congress
The BPL was the first publicly supported free municipal library in the world.
Boston Public Library in 1900.Library of Congress
It was first library to allow citizens to borrow books and materials, which was a revolutionary concept.
Entrance to the Boston Public Library in 1910.Library of Congress
The BPL was also the first library to establish a branch system. An East Boston branch opened in 1870. Between 1872 and 1900, there were twenty-one more branches to quench Boston’s literary thirst.
Boston Public Library in 1910.Library of Congress
A hundred years later, the BPL’s flagship branch still looks good.
Boston Public Library in Copley Square, 2014.
For more flashbacks through time, check out these old MBTA photos.
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