The George Peabody Library is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful library spaces in the world, but is also an essential space for teaching and research.
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The George Peabody Library is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful library spaces in the world, but is also an essential space for teaching and research.
Formerly the Library of the Peabody Institute of the City of Baltimore, the library’s collection dates from the founding of the Peabody Institute in 1857. In that year, George Peabody, a Massachusetts-born philanthropist, dedicated the Peabody Institute to the citizens of Baltimore in appreciation of their “kindness and hospitality.”
The library building opened in 1878 and was designed by Baltimore architect Edmund G. Lind, in collaboration with the Peabody Institute’s first provost, Dr. Nathaniel H. Morison. The stack room contains five tiers of ornamental cast-iron balconies, which rise dramatically to the skylight 61 feet above the floor.
The library contains 300,000 volumes, mainly from the 19th century, with strengths in religion, British art, architecture, topography and history; American history, biography, and literature; Romance languages and literature; history of science; and geography, exploration, and travel.
Check out the high-resolution 360-degree virtual tour of the stunning interior.
In support of its mission to provide access to materials and services in an environment that is conducive to study and research, George Peabody Library requires all visitors to comply with the following general rules:
Have a question about the Peabody Library?
Call 667-208-6715 or contact Paul Espinosa, Curator of the Peabody Library.
Book a special event at the George Peabody Library
Offices located at Evergreen Museum & Library
443-840-9585
privateeventsoffice@jhu.edu
peabodyevents.library.jhu.edu/