X Marks The Spot

I love libraries…well, I love the idea of libraries. Whenever I go to a new library, I always have the same hope that the inside will resemble the Venetian library that was featured in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade…minus all of the rats and fire. I hold my breath with the excitement that white marble floors and painted ceilings can arouse. I long for the smell of worn leather bindings and yellowing parchment. When I go to a library, I want to literally be transported to a different era, when people had loads of money to decorate buildings from floor to ceiling with knick knacks made of solid gold. I am always disappointed when faced with the fluorescently lit reality that has been every library I have ever had the misfortune to visit…and yet my quest for the perfect library continues, much as Indiana’s search for the holy grail.

…

Until yesterday…

Yesterday, while feeling particularly adventurous, I decided to head over to check out Watertown’s local library, The Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library. I felt a catch in my chest as I passed two ferocious white marble lions guarding the front entrance. I felt a skip of my heart as my eyes rested on the golden zodiac symbols that adorn the floor. I blacked out for a moment as I gazed upon ceilings decorated with ornate paintings, gold leaf and stained glass. I may have even let out a small, quiet squeal of delight as I danced across the lobby floor. I spent about an hour or so walking from room to room taking photographs and bothering the patrons who were trying to read.

This has become my new favorite spot to shoot indoor photos, fight off cabin fever and combat the winter blues (in the event that winter ever shows up…I’m not complaining). If you would like to learn more about the Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library, visit their website: http://www.flowermemoriallibrary.org/