#mckim building

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Bibliomania Day

Bibliomania Day, celebrated on March 20 every year, commemorates the anniversary of the great grand heist of 23,600 books executed by Stephen Blumberg. Many people confuse bibliophilia — the love of books, with bibliomania, the compulsive disorder of hoarding books. This obsession with collecting books can even go on to damage a person’s social relations or health. Let’s learn more about bibliomania, its symptoms, facts, and how to know if you are a bibliomaniac.

HISTORY OF BIBLIOMANIA DAY

The story behind Bibliomania Day started in the 1950s, then later made popular by Stephen Blumberg, also known as the ‘Book Bandit,’ from Iowa who hoarded thousands of books. He amassed over 23,600 books from 327 libraries and museums across 45 states, two provinces in Canada, and the District of Columbia. The combined worth of the books was estimated to be $5,3 million. On March 20, 1990, Blumberg was caught when his friend turned him over to the F.B.I.

The term stems from two Greek words ‘biblio-’ meaning ‘book’ and ‘mania’ meaning madness.’ In essence ‘bibliomania’ translates to book madness. The term was initially used in 1734 by book collector Thomas Hearne. He wrote in his diary, “I should have been tempted to have laid out a pretty deal of money without thinking myself at all touched with bibliomania.” But, it was in 1809 when the term became widely known to people as Thomas Dibdin published a book titled “BIBLIOMANIA or Book of Madness.” He mentioned in his book that bibliomania is a medical condition called “the book disease.”

Symptoms of bibliomania include habits of acquiring large quantities of books, an excessive possessiveness over the collection, and also feeling distressed. There are no reasons why a person might become a bibliomaniac. In most cases, bibliomaniacs often become addicted to book collecting when they are very young. They do this as a way of coping with a difficult hardship. So, keep a check on your love for books!

BIBLIOMANIA DAY TIMELINE

1734

The First Use of the Word

Thomas Hearne uses the word ‘bibliomania’ in his diary

1750

A Letter to a Son

Lord Chesterfield writes a letter to his son where he mentions “Beware of the bibliomanie.”

1809

Book Madness is Published

Reverend Thomas Dibdin publishes a book titled “BIBLIOMANIA or Book madness.”

1990

The Book Bandit is Caught

Stephen Blumberg is caught and handed over to the F.B.I. for stealing books.

BIBLIOMANIA DAY FAQS

What are the other words for Bibliomania?

The love for books can be expressed in many terms including bibliomaniac, bibliophile, bookworm, book-lover, and book reviewer.

Who popularized the term Bibliomania?

John Ferriar, a physician at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, coined the term bibliomania. He dedicated it to his bibliomaniac friend.

Can you become obsessed with a book?

Yes, it is possible to become obsessed with books or even a particular book. However, most of the time, the book obsession will be under control.

BIBLIOMANIA DAY ACTIVITIES

Buy books: The best way to celebrate Bibliomania Day is by buying or getting as many books as possible. It would be much better if you were to buy them and probably not heist them!

Read books on bibliomania: Celebrate this day by reading books that give insight into bibliomania. Examples are books such as “A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books.”

Gift a book to someone: What’s better than buying books or reading them on Bibliomania Day to celebrate it? Yes, you guessed it! Gifting them! You can give books to your friends, family, or colleagues.

5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BIBLIOMANIA

Not a recognized disorder: The American Psychiatric Association refused to recognize bibliomania as a disorder.

It has a Japanese name too: In Japanese, bibliomania is called ‘tsundoku,’ and is good behavior.

They can be seduced by books: Bibliomaniacs can be aroused by the presence of books.

The vello-mania: There is also a condition called vello-mania whereby the person accumulates documents.

It may indicate abuse: Some experts suggest bibliomania may develop due to trauma or repeated abuse.

WHY WE LOVE BIBLIOMANIA DAY

Books are awesome: Books are not just some papers to read. They have been proven to promote brain growth, spark creativity and change us to be smart people. Well, what more can we ask for?

It fosters healthy relationships: Reading books and sharing the love for books on Bibliomania Day with your friends, family, or strangers fosters a healthy relationship. Books can get people to bond.

It teaches us life: Books are a gateway to another world where everything is possible and doable. Whatever book you may read, it can teach you something new.

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Millionaire Harry Thaw shot and killed prominent architect Stanford White in New York City on June 25, 1906.  

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Bibliomania Day

Stephen Blumberg loved books. It has been written that “it was his habit to read constantly through the night, cat-napping, walking, reading, dozing, waking, reading again, never fully sleeping.” Stephen Blumberg didn’t just love books, he was a bibliomaniac. Bibliomania is when someone has a strong love of books, where they collect them to the point of hoarding, and social relations and health may suffer. Symptoms may include acquiring more books than would be useful for any reason or getting many copies of the same book. The term was coined by John Ferriar, who published a poem in 1809 with the word as its title, for his friend Richard Heber, who had the condition. The term became used to describe obsessive book collectors. That same year, Reverend Thomas Frognall Dibdin published Bibliomania; or Book Madness. Bibliomania is different from bibliophilia, which is a healthy form of love for books.

On March 20, 1990, Stephen Blumberg’s bibliomania caught up with him. He was arrested for stealing more than 23,600 books (weighing 19 tons) from 268 libraries, universities, and museums. It had taken him over 20 years to steal them, and he got them from 45 states, Washington D.C., and Canada. After originally being thought to be valued at around $20 million, the value of the books was estimated at $5.3 million. He is known as the number one book thief in American history and became known as the Book Bandit. The books he stole, which included a first edition of Uncle Tom’s Cabin among other rare books, became known as the “Blumberg Collection.”

An acquaintance of Blumberg, Kenneth J. Rhodes, turned him in for a $56,000 reward. During Blumberg’s trial, a psychiatric doctor let it be known that Blumberg had gone through psychiatric treatment as an adolescent. The defense claimed that Blumberg had stolen the books because of psychiatric issues beyond his control. According to the defense, Blumberg had thought he was saving the books from destruction by stealing them. He thought that the government was trying to keep them so that everyday people wouldn’t have them, and he thought he was acting as custodian of the books and doing something good. Because he was well-intentioned, he said he would have never sold any of the books for a profit, and hoped they would go to another person who would take good care of them after he was gone. Nonetheless, he was sentenced to 71 months in prison and given a $200,000 fine, and insanity or psychology wasn’t factored into the decision. He was released on December 29, 1995, and has since been arrested for burglary multiple times.

On Bibliomania Day, we remember Stephen Blumberg and his remarkable feat of stealing over 23,600 books. Could you buy, steal, or gather together that many books? Probably not, but you aren’t the world’s most famous bibliomaniac. Perhaps on Bibliomania Day, you could at least try.

How to Observe

Celebrate the day by getting as many books as possible. It’s probably best not to steal them as Stephen Blumberg did, but that’s a decision you will have to make for yourself. You could start by getting some books about bibliomaniacs, such as A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books or The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession. After that your options are limitless. As bibliomaniacs tend to collect any and all books, regardless of their value, you could just start trying to gather up any books you can find. But maybe it’s best to start by getting some of the best fiction or non-fiction books of all time.

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Churches (No. 45)

Old South Church, Boston (nine pics) 

Church of Christ Scientist, Boston

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Copley Square, Boston

Copley Square, named for painter John Singleton Copley, is a public square in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, bounded by Boylston Street, Clarendon Street, St. James Avenue, and Dartmouth Street. Prior to 1883 it was known as Art Square due to its many cultural institutions, some of which remain today. It is a pending Boston Landmark.

A remarkable number of important Boston educational and cultural institutions were originally located adjacent to (or very near) Copley Square, reflecting 19th-century Boston's aspirations for it as a center of culture and progress.These included the Museum of Fine Arts, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard Medical School, the New England Museum of Natural History (today's Museum of Science), Trinity Church, the New Old South Church, the Boston Public Library, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Massachusetts Normal Art School (today's Massachusetts College of Art and Design), the Horace Mann School for the Deaf, Boston University, Emerson College, and Northeastern University.

Known as Art Square until 1883,Copley Square was originally cut diagonally by Huntington Avenue; it took its present form in 1961 when Huntington Avenue was truncated at the corner of Dartmouth Street, the Square partially paved, and a pyramidal fountain sculpture added. In 1991, after further changes including a new fountain, the new Copley Square Park was dedicated. The nonprofit Friends of Copley Square raises funds for care of the square's plantings, fountain, and monuments.

The Boston Marathon foot race has finished at Copley Square since 1986. A memorial celebrating the race's 100th running (in 1996) is located in the park, near the corner of Boylston and Dartmouth streets.

Source: Wikipedia

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Lamps/Lusters (No. 37)

McKim Building, Boston (three pics)

Japanese Garden Lantern, Boston Public Garden (three pics)

1 State Street, Boston (two pics)

Quincy Market, Boston

Paul Revere House, Boston

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McKim Building, Boston

The Boston Public Library McKim Building (built 1895) in Copley Square contains the library's research collection, exhibition rooms and administrative offices. When it opened in 1895, the new Boston Public Library was proclaimed a "palace for the people." The building includes lavish decorations, a children's room (the first in the nation), and a central courtyard surrounded by an arcaded gallery in the manner of a Renaissance cloister. The library regularly displays its rare works, often in exhibits that will combine works on paper, rare books, and works of art. Several galleries in the third floor of the McKim building are maintained for exhibits. 

Charles Follen McKim's design shows influence from a number of architectural precedents. McKim drew explicitly on the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève in Paris (designed by Henri Labrouste, built 1845 to 1851) for the general arrangement of the facade that fronts on Copley Square, but his detailing of that facade's arcaded windows owes a clear debt to the side elevations of Leon Battista Alberti's Tempio Malatestiano in Rimini. The open-air courtyard at the center of the building is based closely on that of the sixteenth-century Palazzo della Cancelleria in Rome; in its center is a copy of the, once controversial, statue Bacchante and Infant Faun one of the most well-known works by Frederick William Macmonnies. McKim also exploited up-to-date building technology, as the library represents one of the first major applications, in the United States, of the system of thin tile vaults (or catalan vaults) exported from the Catalan architectural tradition by the Valencian Rafael Guastavino. Seven different types of Guastavino vaulting can be seen in the library.

The center entrance consists of three arches flanked by large sconces. Within each arch are sets of bronze doors by Daniel Chester French added in 1904, which depict left to right, low-relief allegories of Music and Poetry; Knowledge and Wisdom; and Truth and Romance. Beneath the figure of Music is a quote from [[Arcades (Milton}|Arcades]] by Milton Such sweet compulsion doth in music lie, to lull the daughters of Necessity, And keep unsteady Nature to her law. Beneath Poetry is the inscription True Poetry is Like the Loadstone Which Both Attracts the Needle and Supplies it With Magnetic Power. The Knowledge door contains a quote from Proverbs 24:3: By knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all pleasant and precious riches; the Wisdom door states There is in Wisdom a spirit subtil, clear in utterance, loving what is good, pure, stedfast. On the Truth door is the inscription Truth is The Strength and The Kingdom and The Power and the Majesty of all Ages A Romance to Rede and Drive the Night and the Romance door states Away from me thought it Better Play than Either at Chesse or Tables.

Flanking the entry are allegorical representations of Science, to the south and Art, on the north, completed by Bela Pratt in 1912. On the panels above the arches are seals of Massachusetts, the Library and the city of Boston.

The McKim building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 for its architectural and historical significance, given Boston Landmark status by the Boston Landmarks Commission in 2000. It was the first major Beaux Arts building in the United States, and it was also the first large-scale urban library building in the nation.

Source: Wikipedia

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McKim Building, Boston

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