Sheffield Central Library
Encyclopedia
Sheffield Central Library and Graves Art Gallery is a public library in Sheffield
. It houses the city library service's single largest general lending and reference collection, as well as hosting an art gallery
on the third floor, and a theatre
in the basement.
Services available from the building include:
Work on the building began in 1929, to a design by W. G. Davies. Built in a broadly art-deco style, it was opened in 1934 by the Duchess of York
. Conceived as part of a plan by Patrick Abercrombie
to create a civic square
, it was the only element ever built and so faces onto a narrow street. In 1991, Tudor Square
was constructed to one side of the library.
The building, supported by a steel frame, is faced with Portland stone
and has some decorative moulding
s by Alfred and William Tory.
The Graves Art Gallery was founded around a bequest from J. G. Graves
and hosts a range of temporary and permanent exhibitions.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. It houses the city library service's single largest general lending and reference collection, as well as hosting an art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
on the third floor, and a theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
in the basement.
Services available from the building include:
- Arts, Social Science and Sports Library
- Business, Science and Technology Library
- Central Children's Library
- Local Studies Library
- Music and Video Library
- Sheffield Information Service
- Sports Library
- World Metal Index
- Graves Art GalleryGraves Art GalleryGraves Art Gallery is in the centre of Sheffield above the Central Library and close to the Millennium Galleries. It shows permanent displays from the city’s collections of 19th and 20th century British and European art as well as a programme of temporary exhibitions.The collection encapsulates the...
- Library Theatre
Work on the building began in 1929, to a design by W. G. Davies. Built in a broadly art-deco style, it was opened in 1934 by the Duchess of York
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
. Conceived as part of a plan by Patrick Abercrombie
Patrick Abercrombie
Sir Leslie Patrick Abercrombie ) was an English town planner. Educated at Uppingham School, Rutland; brother of Lascelles Abercrombie, poet and literary critic.-Career:...
to create a civic square
Civic Square
Civic Square is the name of:* Civic Square, Canberra* Civic Square, Wellington...
, it was the only element ever built and so faces onto a narrow street. In 1991, Tudor Square
Tudor Square
Tudor Square is a city square in the city of Sheffield, England. The square is home to the largest concentration of theatres in the UK outside London and has thus become known as Sheffield’s ‘Theatre Land’...
was constructed to one side of the library.
The building, supported by a steel frame, is faced with Portland stone
Portland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
and has some decorative moulding
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
s by Alfred and William Tory.
The Graves Art Gallery was founded around a bequest from J. G. Graves
John George Graves
John George Graves was a successful English entrepreneur and public benefactor. He became Sheffield's Lord Mayor and an Alderman in 1926 and he was given Freedom of the City in 1929. He was born in Lincolnshire in 1866 and died in 1945, after having settled in Sheffield.Graves moved to Sheffield...
and hosts a range of temporary and permanent exhibitions.