The David Sassoon Library and Reading Room is a famous

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

and heritage structure in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The idea for a library to be situated in the center of the city came from

Albert Sassoon Sir Albert Abdullah David Sassoon, 1st Baronet, (25 July 181824 October 1896) was a Baghdad-born businessman and philanthropist. Biography Life and career Sassoon was born on 25 July 1818 in Baghdad, Ottoman Empire, into the Sassoon family o ...

, son of the famous

Baghdadi Jewish The former communities of Jewish migrants and their descendants from Baghdad and elsewhere in the Middle East are traditionally called Baghdadi Jews or Iraqi Jews. They settled primarily in the ports and along the trade routes around the Indian ...

philanthropist, David Sassoon. The building was designed by architects J. Campbell and G. E. Gosling, for the Scott McClelland and Company, at a cost of Rs. 125,000. David Sassoon donated Rs. 60,000, while the rest of the cost was borne by the Government of

Bombay Presidency The Bombay Presidency or Bombay Province, also called Bombay and Sind (1843–1936), was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India, with its capital in the city that came up over the seven islands of Bombay. The first mainl ...

. The library is located on

Rampart Row Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * "O'er the Ramparts We Watched" is a key line from "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the U ...

, looking across the

Kala Ghoda Kala Ghoda (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA:Kāḷā Ghōḍā,(काला घोडा)') is a crescent-shaped art district in Mumbai, India. It hosts several of the city's heritage buildings including museums, art galleries and educ ...

. The building, completed in 1870, is built using yellow Malad stone, much like the abutting

Elphinstone College Elphinstone College is one of the constituent colleges of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, a state cluster university. Established in 1823, it is one of the oldest colleges in Mumbai. It played a major role in shaping and developing the ed ...

, Army and Navy Buildings and

Watson's Hotel Watson's Hotel (actually Watson's Esplanade Hotel), now known as the Esplanade Mansion, located in the Kala Ghoda area of Mumbai (Bombay), is India's oldest surviving cast iron building. It is probably the oldest surviving multi-level fully cast ...

. Above the entrance portico is a white stone bust of David Sassoon. This marble bust was

Thomas Woolner Thomas Woolner (17 December 1825 – 7 October 1892) was an English sculptor and poet who was one of the founder-members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was the only sculptor among the original members. After participating in the found ...

's working model for the statue of Sassoon standing at the front of the stairs of the David Sassoon Library. This standing marble statue, completed in 1865, was commissioned by Sir

Bartle Frere Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere, 1st Baronet, (29 March 1815 – 29 May 1884) was a Welsh British colonial administrator. He had a successful career in India, rising to become Governor of Bombay (1862–1867). However, as High Commissioner for S ...

Governor of Bombay Until the 18th century, Bombay consisted of seven islands separated by shallow sea. These seven islands were part of a larger archipelago in the Arabian sea, off the western coast of India. The date of city's founding is unclear—historians tr ...

and personal friend of the sculptor, Woolner. Subscriptions came from the Jewish community, a myriad of traders, and friends in England. The building also houses the Lund and Blockley opticians.

History

The European employees working in the Government Mint and the Dockyard in Mumbai started the Mechanics' Institution in 1847 to provide technical education to adults and to hold lectures. They worked out of rented premises until they moved to their own building thanks to the generosity of Sir David Sassoon. The building was called the David Sassoon Library and Reading Room.

References

External links

David Sassoon Library and Reading Room - official website
{{Authority control Library buildings completed in 1870 The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai Libraries in Mumbai 1870 establishments in India

History

See also

References

External links