As part of the current exhibition at the Central Library, Department of Transformation: Letters for the Future, library cardholders are able "to borrow a selection of works by the artists and collectives in the exhibition." Inspired by this project, this Photo of the Week shows a different art-lending program that started at BPL in 1950.
This program involved lending framed reproductions of well-known works from art history. Just as with the current exhibition, pieces from the lending collection were on display in the lobby at the Central Library. And just as with the current exhibition, the goal was "to demonstrate to people that great art is not merely to be looked at in museums but to be lived with in the home." Or, the contemporary version: putting forth "a simple, but radical, proposal: that art should be available to all, to live with and learn from every day."
Interested in seeing more photos from CBH’s collections? Visit our online image gallery, which includes a selection of our images, or the digital collections portal of Brooklyn Public Library. We welcome appointments to research our entire collection of images, archives, maps, and special collections. Our reference staff is available to help with your research! You can reach us at cbhreference@bklynlibrary.org.
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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