Another Los Angeles treasure, The William Andrews Clark Memorial Library

I keep on saying how much I love Los Angeles. Today was another example of why.View of the back. I didn’t bring my good camera and I forgot to take a picture of the front facade. One of the biggest rewards of volunteering is the interesting opportunities that come my way. A fellow LA conservancy docent had booked a visit here and since there was room, a group of us joined in the tour.I really need to spend more time exploring the neighborhood of West Adams. This is one of the first exclusive residential areas outside of downtown.  Adams Blvd. was lined with incredible mansions. The library was built by William Clark Junior in honor of his father. His Craftsman mansion sat on what is now a parking lot. Here you can find a brief history of the family, there is so much more, it would fill a few books. The library is not very large, although the reading rooms and book storage are in the basement.  When building the library William Clark Junior bequeathed it to the new Public University that would become UCLA. Although practically next door to USC, it is run and managed by UCLA.  The interior is gorgeous!  This is the ceiling in the entrance.Here we are in the great parlor, this was used in the past for performances and lectures. In the summer it is set up as a sitting room, during the year the furniture comes out, the rug is covered and it is used as a lecture hall.More ceiling Detail of the carved wood in the ceiling, no-one does this kind of workmanship any more.Looking out the windows at this expansive garden, right in the middle of the city. Chamber music and plays are performed here in the summer.This room looks like what a gentlemen’s library does in the movies. Aside from the books, I found the ceilings to be fascinating.A 17th c. globe with the island of California. This is probably accurate to how CA was viewed. Later of course explorers realized that Baja CA was a peninsula and the the north was firmly connected to North America. For many years map makers would still portray it as an island.The books on display are pieces of art, many miniatures such as this one. The slips of paper are the cataloging system, they do not want to mar the books by putting any kind of stickers on them. The opulent portion of the library can only be viewed by appointment or by coming to an event here.The reading room entrance is on the side of the building and down stairs. Btw, unlike other research libraries, all one needs to do here is make an appointment and show ID. No need for recommendations from a University or research center. So if you are interested in 17-18c British literature as well as the works of Oscar Wilde. Come on down.Setting up for  a performance of Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan, performed by Chalk Repertory Theatre, which will take place over  the next two weekends.  We saw the theater group getting organized and rehearsing.This wonderful folly is next to the library, literally abutting busy Adams Blvd. All you see from the street is a large brick wall.I call this a folly, because it is a very classic space but we just couldn’t figure out what it would be used for. Finally, the Ficus Tree.One of the oldest largest Ficus trees in southern CA. It was probably planted in the mid 19th Century. The deed of the library states that no building can be built within 100 feet. The brick building in the background are that far away. Most of the library is therefore under this expanse of lawn.As impressive and as old as the library. The trunk of the ficus as well as the canopy are a sight to behold. Parking was very easy, maybe during the school year it is busier. But even if you can’t get a tour inside, I highly recommend paying a visit to The William Andrews Clark memorial Library at 2024 Cimarron st. Los Angeles. I will probably head back with my good camera, since there are so many wonderful old houses in the area, it is  a neighborhood worth exploring.

Once again proof that there is so much more to LA than just freeways and strip malls.