The Architecture and
Sculpture of Hereford Library and Museum
The Hereford City Library is a narrow coursed, stone building
with ashlar dressings. It consists of three storeys, attics and a basement.
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On the second and third storeys there
are seven gothic style pointed arched windows in a 2-3-2 formation. On
the second course there is also a cantilevered stone balcony (cantilevered
means that it is supported by a large stone bracket). The ground
floor has 5 large pointed arches, 4 of which are used as display windows.
The middle arch forms the entrance.
The roof is of slate, half-hipped and has large
symmetrically placed end chimneys. The main body of the library is constructed
in blue-grey sandstone from Pontypridd, South Wales. The creamy coloured
window dressings are limestone from Chipping Campden. The orange coloured
columns that make up each of the four arches on the ground floor originate
from near Cardiff. It has been suggested that this stone has been used
as it shows the sediment of the rock and these represent the sediments
of the earth upon which the living world is resting - here represented
by the animal and plant carvings above. (Building
Stones Trail - Hereford City Centre - Herefordshire & Worcestershire
Earth Heritage Trust Guide)
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The architecture of the library has been described as ‘Anglicised
Venetian Gothic’ and the front is intricately carved depicting various animals,
foliage and symbols.
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Around the doorway to the library
are animals including the water-shrew, mullagong, beaver,
hippopotamus, walrus, sea-elephant, rhinoceros, tapir (an odd-toed hoofed
animal, often found in South America), sea-leopard, otter and water rat.
In the lower niches are carvings of: frigate bird,
kangaroo, beetle, auk owl, monkey, pangolin (scaly ant-eater), butterfly,
armadillo, frog snake and kingfisher. |
The capitals of the four great pillars on the ground
floor have carvings of animals that represent the four continents of Europe,
America, Asia and Africa.
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Europe:
Squirrels.
America: Cockatoos,
Toucan, Possum.
Asia: Monkeys
Africa: Crocodiles
and waterfowl. |
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Crocodile
carving for Africa |
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Cockatoos
& possum for Australia |
The mouldings between the pillars show a crab, a bat
and foliage.
In between each of the arches are four medallions that
are carved to represent Science, Art, the arms of the city and the arms of Mr
Rankin. The Science and Art medallions may refer to what can be studied within
the Library, and the arms of the city and of Mr Rankin the people whose donations
and time made such learning possible.
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The string course dividing the first
and second floors is decorated with each of the twelve signs of the zodiac,
as well as a pictorial depiction of each one (e.g. scales for Libra).
The upper string course has animals of the hunt, including rabbits, a
dog, a fox, a wild cat, plus birds and owls.
Left: The two signs of the zodiac
that represent Cancer (22nd June - 23rd July) |
At either end of the second course are the heads of a
seal and a lion. These may represent Lords Saye and Seale and the corporation
of Hereford whose crest features a lion.
At the ends of the third floor are the heads of a bull,
which represents Dr Bull (acting Vice President of the Library Committee) surrounded
by mushrooms (Bull enjoyed studying fungi), and a goat which is the crest of
architects and probably represents Mr Kempson, the architect of Hereford Library.
It has been suggested that the elephant and four-tusked
barbiroussa represent the patient plodding that is required to gain knowledge.
Finally the façade is completed by a series of
decorative animals including a monkey playing a musical instrument.
MG
(An Ornament of the City, 125 Years of Hereford
Free Library and Museum, I. Churcher, R.Hill and C.Robinson, The Herefordshire
Council 1999)
