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The John Rylands Library is among the most famous libraries in the city and offers Neo-Gothic construction with arched ceilings, intricate décor and a magical vibe. The library opened to the public in 1900 at the dawn of the 20th century, and the sandstone building is owned and operated by the University of Manchester. The interior is as lovely as the exterior, with intricate archways and subdued lighting. As you explore, you may even get to see rare and unique medieval manuscripts and other ancient texts or the papers of historic personalities.
The building is a tribute and memorial to John Rylands by his wife Enriqueta Augustina Rylands. It opened as a public library in 1900 after ten years in construction. It was one of the first buildings in the city to be lit by electricity and cost around 60 million pounds in today's money to build.
John Rylands (1801-1888) was a local businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was indeed the city's first multi-millionaire by modern standards, something of a Bill Gates of his day who supported numerous charities after his retirement.
His wife purchased a site in Deansgate and the architect Basil Champneys, who was responsible for several colleges in Oxford and Cambridge, designed the beautiful building in Victorian Neo-Gothic style with an ornate facade.
The interior has stained glass by the artist Charles Eamer Kempe and a series of statues in the main reading room of such figures as Francis Bacon, Bunyan, Caxton, Goethe, Gibbon, Gutenberg, Milton, Newton, Shakespeare, and Wesley, etc.
