As we celebrate the start of a new year, what better time to reflect on the past and look forward to a fresh start in the new year to come? For today’s 125^th Anniversary Fact, we decided to take a peek into the past (100 years to be exact) to December 27^th, 1921 to see exactly what we were up to all those years ago. According to our archive of library scrapbooks, we were presenting a chamber concert by The Kaltenborn String Quartet of New York. Want to really connect with the past and feel like you’re stepping back in time? The Library of Congress has a recording of the quartet on their website, so you can really party like it’s 1921!

For today’s 125^th Anniversary Fact we’re sharing another subtle architectural detail of the Blackstone Library you may not be aware of. You’re probably familiar with our circular reading room, but did you know even the windows are curved to fit the space? It’s no optical illusion! Curved glass is often found in buildings dating from the 1890s, and creating it is a challenging process even today. A steel mold with the correct curvature must first be created and heated, and the straight pane of glass must be inspected for flaws that may cause it to shatter in the kiln. The glass is then coated in a mixture of calcium carbonate and detergent to prevent it from sticking to the steel mold. Once the glass is fully coated, it is placed on the heated steel mold and loaded into the kiln. The glass must reach about 700 degrees before it begins to melt and bend to the desired shape, and then the kiln is slowly cooled. Now imagine doing all that in 1896!

If you’ve visited the Blackstone in the last few weeks, you’re sure to have noticed that the library halls are thoroughly decked for the holiday season! But do you know who’s responsible for all this festive cheer? It’s not the library staff that makes it happen–it’s all thanks to the Branford Garden Club! Those fantastic planters on our front steps were also generously donated by them, and they make our main entrance even more spectacular year-round. The Blackstone has partnered with the Garden Club for decades, hosting lectures and classes sponsored by the group going back to at least the 1930s. We love partnering with local institutions in town and helping them reach a wider audience–it’s a win-win-win for the library, the group, and the people of Branford. We also partner with groups like the Branford Historical Society, Branford Forum, the Land Trust, the Senior Center, Shoreline Adult Education, and more! If you’re looking to find your people, our calendar has always been a good place to start!

We always love when patrons marvel at our architecture! It’s a great reminder for everyone on staff to take a step back and look up in admiration at the amazing achievements of our library’s builders, so we thought we’d share some of those marvel-worthy details with you for today’s 125^th Anniversary Fact.

The paintings in the library dome are certainly show stopping, but have you ever looked closely at the marble details that surround them? Today’s photo showcases two of the most prominent details carved into the marble–the Egg-and-Dart motif and Dentils. Egg-and-Dart is typically an egg-shaped object alternating with a V-shaped element which dates back to Ancient Greek architecture and is all over the building. It’s well represented in marble here, but also makes appearances in the library in wood and plaster. In fact, some of our original plaster Egg-and-Dart suffered water damage over the years and was finally repaired with our most recent renovation. Master Plasterer may not be a common career, but we’re grateful they’re still around to help maintain buildings like ours!

If the Dentil makes you think of teeth, you’re on the right track! The name comes from the same Latin word that gives us Dental and Dentist (dens which means tooth). Dentils are tooth-like blocks in rows that often accompany Egg-and-Dart, and both were very common motifs around the time the library was built. Both of these little architectural details date back to Ancient Greece, and both appear on the Erechtheion, the Ancient Greek temple which the library is modeled after.

Photo courtesy of Jason Neely

The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday has the Blackstone Library thinking about families and how important they can be. Spending time with loved ones (in person or virtually) over the holidays gives us an opportunity to learn more about them and can remind us how their experiences have shaped our own lives. That’s why today’s 125^th Anniversary Fact is all about a family history resource that’s totally unique to Branford and the Blackstone Library.

In our archives we’ve saved hundreds of paper library card applications dating back to 1896. These cards were maintained until approximately the 1970s, and were how librarians tracked information about library patrons in the days before computers. That may not sound very impressive, but we’re sure the local genealogists are already getting excited! What information is preserved on these cards? It’s more than just names and addresses. We also asked questions about occupation, living situation, and place of business. If you were a child, we asked what school you went to. In the early days someone in town had to “recommend you” in order for you to get a library card, so we can learn all kinds of things about relationships between friends and neighbors. These cards also exist for summer residents, so we have information on people from New York, Massachusetts, and other areas in Connecticut. When someone passed away, it was recorded on their library card application and any notable circumstances were recorded–for example we have several cards that mention a young male cardholder “died in war” in the 1940s.

These cards are chock full of hints about the lives of the people who came before us. Anyone who has researched their family history knows just how important little hints can be in uncovering big discoveries! Not to mention there’s something special about seeing the handwriting of a relative who is no longer with us. We’re working on the monumental task of digitizing and indexing these cards, and hope to make their information available to the public sometime in the near future so be sure to keep an eye on our online local history pages!

For today’s 125^th Anniversary fact we’re taking a look at the man behind the funding of the library. Timothy Blackstone’s generosity is the reason we have such an incredible library in Branford, but how much do you really know about him? Read on to learn all about the man behind the library!

Timothy Beach Blackstone (March 28, 1829 – May 26, 1900) was a railroad executive, businessman, philanthropist, and politician. He is descended from William Blaxton, an early settler of New England. He worked in the railroad industry for most of his life after dropping out of school. At the time of his death, his estate was worth US$6 million ($186.6 million today).

Blackstone was born in Branford, Connecticut, the sixth child, and fourth son, of James Blackstone and Sarah Beach. Health issues caused Blackstone to drop out of school in 1847, and he began working for Roswell B. Mason, surveying the New York and New Haven Railroad (NY&NH). In 1851, Roswell he was invited to supervise construction of the Illinois Central Railroad between Bloomington and Dixon, Illinois. Blackstone accepted the job and moved to La Salle, Illinois.

Blackstone was elected mayor of LaSalle in 1854 and served a single term, his only foray into politics. After leaving office, he returned to working on railroads, first as chief engineer of the Joliet and Chicago Railroad, which would eventually become the Chicago and Alton Railroad.

In 1868, Blackstone married Isabella Farnsworth Norton, the daughter of a successful businessman from Norwich, Connecticut. Blackstone died of pneumonia on May 26, 1900, in Chicago, Illinois. His funeral was held at the Second Presbyterian Church and was then transported to Norwich, Connecticut for burial.

In addition to being the benefactor of our library, his widow donated the Blackstone Memorial Library to the Chicago Public Library in 1902, the first dedicated branch of the Chicago Public Library system. The Blackstones also funded Blackstone Hall for the Art Institute of Chicago Building, and his mansion became the site of the Blackstone Hotel and the Blackstone Theatre.

For today’s 125^th Anniversary fact we’re taking a look at the man behind the funding of the library. Timothy Blackstone’s generosity is the reason we have such an incredible library in Branford, but how much do you really know about him? Read on to learn all about the man behind the library!

 Read more…

Today was an absolutely beautiful day, but the leaves on the trees are reminding us that fall is here at last! With the weather getting colder, we wanted to share an extra cozy 125^th Anniversary Fact. Did you know that the fireplace in the Reading Room is more than just decorative? While it’s certainly an eye catching period detail, it’s also been retrofitted with all the modern conveniences and safety features. We light it every day during the late fall and winter, and it adds the perfect relaxing touch to a chilly morning reading the paper or getting some work done at the library. The next time you’re looking for somewhere to unwind with a good book or get some work done outside your home, be sure to check out the Reading Room at the Blackstone!

Many thousands of books have passed through the Blackstone Library’s collections over the years, but today we’re presenting you with one of the most special titles we own. It’s not the fanciest, not a classic or a best seller. It’s not the most valuable, the oldest book in the building, or even the first book we ever purchased. Today’s 125^th Anniversary Fact is about the oldest recorded, continuously owned, book in the Blackstone Library’s collection–a monumental feat of endurance! It’s never been damaged beyond repair, lost, or needed to be replaced. For 124 years it has remained on the shelf for the people of Branford to use and enjoy. That book is…the 1897 Branford City Directory!

Some of you may remember our Accession Records from several Anniversary Facts ago. They are a running list of every title added to the collection dating back to 1897. This book is the first one listed in the earliest Accession Record book we have. Its internal book plate proclaims that it was added to the collection on the 29^th of April in 1897, which matches the date in the Accession Records. Most importantly, the entry for the 1897 City Directory was never marked as “Condemned” — the word used to describe books that were removed from the collection for any reason. Every other title on the page was condemned, but not this little City Directory!

Now a part of our local history collection, the Branford City Directories are similar to phone books and list people and businesses located in town. They can be handy for genealogy, and are also just fun to look through. With the proper care and a little luck, this book should remain on the shelf for another 124 years.