John Lawrence Hall, Lahore. 1861-62. Architect: G. Stone. Source of image: Illustrated London News (31 December 1864): 673. [Click on image to enlarge it.] Tim Willasey-Wilsey, our Assistant Editor for Military and Colonial History, points out that this building is now called the Qaid-e-Azam Library and that the more photogenic side of the Library was once called Montgomery Hall and 90% of the photos on the web are of its classical facade whereas only 10% are of the uglier Lawrence Hall. See, for example, this University of Alberta site. — George P. Landow
Commentary in the Illustrated London News
As a sequel to the Illustrations in our last Number of the visit of Sir John Lawrence, Governor-General of India, to the capital of the Punjaub in the middle of October, we now give a view of the Lawrence Hall, a building erected some years since in the city of Lahore to serve for the public accommodation, and at the same time to form a monument of that distinguished man, who was then Lieutenant-Governor of the province. Here, on the 17th of October last, the present Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Robert Montgomery, entertained the Governor-General at a conversazione, which was attended by most of the civil and military officers, with their wives and daughters. A concert of excellent music was provided by a number of amateur performers, after which the company sat down to supper in a large tent behind the hall. Here the health of Sir John Lawrence was proposed by the Lieutenant-Governor in the heartiest terras of old friendship—as having been his schoolfellow at Londonderry forty years ago—with a just eulogy of the public services and abilities of the new Viceroy of India. This toast having been drunk with no less cordial cheers, the Governor-General replied. He alluded “with pride and sorrow” to the example of those who fell in the terrible struggle of 1857 ; and, with regard to the Punjaub especially, declared that he had seen with the greatest pleasure how much its condition had improved under the rule of his successor at Lahore.
Further reading
- Thomas Woolner’s Lord John Laird Mair Lawrence (1811-1879)
- John First Lord Lawrence
- Larwence Hall (University of Alberta site)
Last modified 23 December 2015