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A PRIVATE TOUR !
The McKim Building is
notable for its perfect proportions, its classic serenity,
its modestly borne and elegance. Its charm lies not only in the immediate
effect of its features - its Copley Square façade, the Entrance Hall, the
Courtyard, the Bates Hall Reading Room, the Sargent Gallery - but in the
details that everywhere make the building a
constant source of surprise and
aesthetic satisfaction
The floors, walls, and
vaulted ceiling are of pink Knoxville marble; the floor is inlaid with patterns
of brown Knoxville and Levanto marble...
The low, broad entrance
hall, divided into three aisles by heavy piers of Iowa sandstone, is of Roman
design. The ceiling is vaulted, with domes in the side bays,
and is covered
with a marble mosaic...
Connecting the Entrance Hall with the main staircase
is a deep triumphal arch. The marble of the steps is ivory gray Echaillon,
mottled with fossil shells;
that of the walls is a richly variegated yellow
Siena...
The great twin lions,
couchant, on pedestals at the turn of the stairs are of unpolished Siena marble
and are the work of Louis Saint-Gaudens. They are memorials to Massachusetts
Civil War infantry regiments, the Second and the Twentieth.
The handsome
coffered ceiling is of plaster...
Of particular interest to many visitors is the sumptuous
Abbey Room, which may be entered from the south end of the Chavannes Gallery.
The room’s dominating feature is the series of splendid and richly colored
mural paintings The Quest of the Holy Grail by the
American artist, Edwin Austin Abbey. The room, 64 feet long by 33 feet wide, is
of luxurious beauty. The ceiling is remarkable for its heavy ornamental
rafters...
The heavy marble doorways leading into Bates Hall and
from the Chavannes Gallery are of rouge antique and Levanto marble. The mantle
of the great fireplace in the east wall - wholly of rouge antique - is
exceedingly rich and elaborate. The walls are wainscoted in dark-colored oak to
the level of the murals, and the floors are of Istrian and red Verona marble...
photos courtesy of Shawn Smith
Informational text obtained from BPL website http://www.bpl.org
The Boston Public Library offers public tours highlighting the architecture of Charles Follen McKim and Philip Johnson, as well as the many works of famed sculptors and painters. The free tours last about an hour and are given by volunteer guides. No appointment is necessary. Tours meet in the lobby of the McKim Building (Dartmouth Street entrance). For more information, please email tours@bpl.org or call 617-859-2379.
A sleeping giant 
all in different... 
