British Museum

Sir Robert Smirke

1823-47

London

Image and text scanned by Nathalie Chevalier.

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

The principal Facade towards (S) Gt. Russell Street with two projecting wings and a portico in the centre is 370 feet in length. In front it has an Ionic colonnade of 14 columns. The pediment above the Portico, which is borne by two rows of eight columns, is adorned with Sculptures by Westmacott. The number of printed volumes in the Museum is about 2,000,000. The Books occupy about 40 miles of shelving.[text accompanying photograph]

Bibliography

The volume containing these images by an unidentified photographer bears the imprint "With H. and C. F. Feist's compliments" but no name, date, or place of publication, though the Feists were dealers in port wine, and Plate 30 demonstrates that the photograph must have been taken after 1902, and John R. Mendel offers evidence that it dates before mid-1906 [GPL].

Last modified 22 November 2001