Dunfermline Scotland was Carnegie’s mecca. He poured his fortune into the town (and had plenty left over), first building a swimming pool and then the aforementioned library. In following years he purchased the Pittencrieff Estate and Park (to be used by the public) and created the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust that still provides the town with ongoing cultural funding. In 1903 he gave directions to the trust insisting that his $2.5 million dollar endowment be:
"used in attempts to bring into the monotonous lives of the toiling masses of Dunfermline more sweetness and light; to give them - especially the young - some charm, some happiness, some elevating conditions of life which residence elsewhere would have denied; that the child of my native town, looking back in after years, however far from home it may have roamed, will feel that simply by virtue of being such, life has been made happier and better.”
The library was designed by James Campbell Walker in 1880 and looks like an architectural mash up of Gothic Victorian and French Chateau (but what do I know?). The stone entrance to the library is beautiful and I feel “elevated” just looking at it (honestly!) - it features a carved sun and the motto “let their be light”. Carnegie’s mother, Margaret Carnegie, laid the memorial stone in 1881 when she visited Dunfermline after 31 years. That must have been a proud mama moment.
I got a peek inside the library, thanks to Dara Baker’s blog about her trip, and the high ceilings, dark wood bookcases and bright sunshine combine to create a warm, inviting place to curl up with a book. However, it sounds is if that will all be changing soon with a new $10 million dollar addition to create the Dunfermline Museum and Art Gallery which will be connected to the library. Richard Murphy Architects website features a very cool walk through animation of the projected buildings. Apparently, a section of what was the adjacent bank will be rebuilt as a giant pivoting door leading into gallery space, an education suite, a restaurant, a shop and a museum, all connected to the library... just think of it as $10 million of “sweetness and light for the toiling masses”.
"used in attempts to bring into the monotonous lives of the toiling masses of Dunfermline more sweetness and light; to give them - especially the young - some charm, some happiness, some elevating conditions of life which residence elsewhere would have denied; that the child of my native town, looking back in after years, however far from home it may have roamed, will feel that simply by virtue of being such, life has been made happier and better.”
The library was designed by James Campbell Walker in 1880 and looks like an architectural mash up of Gothic Victorian and French Chateau (but what do I know?). The stone entrance to the library is beautiful and I feel “elevated” just looking at it (honestly!) - it features a carved sun and the motto “let their be light”. Carnegie’s mother, Margaret Carnegie, laid the memorial stone in 1881 when she visited Dunfermline after 31 years. That must have been a proud mama moment.
I got a peek inside the library, thanks to Dara Baker’s blog about her trip, and the high ceilings, dark wood bookcases and bright sunshine combine to create a warm, inviting place to curl up with a book. However, it sounds is if that will all be changing soon with a new $10 million dollar addition to create the Dunfermline Museum and Art Gallery which will be connected to the library. Richard Murphy Architects website features a very cool walk through animation of the projected buildings. Apparently, a section of what was the adjacent bank will be rebuilt as a giant pivoting door leading into gallery space, an education suite, a restaurant, a shop and a museum, all connected to the library... just think of it as $10 million of “sweetness and light for the toiling masses”.
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