Comments on: Passmore Edwards’ East End Libraries

By: Vanda Human

Vanda Human — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 11:19:06 +0000

So sad to see so many libraries closing their doors. In my youth I used to love visiting the library, would spend afternoons there, selecting books that I wanted to read. Unfortunately my selection was always more than one was allowed. It was such a peaceful and to me an entertaining place to visit. To this day, I always spend whatever spare time I have with my nose in a book or kindle. But then I guess I am what numerous people call a bookworm. I hope these old buildings are not going to be demolished, I am sure they can be put to use to help entertain the youth or the elderly.

By: Peter Holford

Peter Holford — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 20:17:08 +0000

Extraordinary man. A bit more of his values would be most welcome among those who could improve society with a fraction of their wealth.

By: armier

armier — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 20:18:50 +0000

I can just hear any number of shortsighted politicians (and/or misguided enthusiasts of raw capitalism) saying, ‘But libraries are on the way out!’.

If only the UK would learn from someone, anyone, other than the sad ol’ USA – because a great many other countries, thankfully, take a different more intelligent view.

For example, our nearest neighbours in the Netherlands…

https://www.youtube.com/user/BibliotheekWaterweg

By: Delia Folkard

Delia Folkard — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 16:02:56 +0000

Thank you GA for enlightening us about this amazing man – I had never heard of him! Particularly interesting is that The Centre for Epilepsy is fairly local to me.

By: Linda Granfield

Linda Granfield — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 14:33:59 +0000

I was happy to see the photograph of this wonderful man at the end of the story. (Would love to see his wife, too. She must have been equally generous given what you say, and she must have been a patient woman, too. Her husband had so many jobs on the go!)

thank you

By: Nik

Nik — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 12:25:48 +0000

Thanks for a wonderful article. Having moved back to London from Cornwall after 15 years I know the name of Passmore Edwards as many of his libraries and buildings populated my neighbourhood. When I started to see his name above buildings in London too I wondered just who he was. What a top guy!

By: Rachel

Rachel — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 10:56:23 +0000

What an understated, yet excellent, ambition: to be useful.

Angela P: the Canning Town public library building was down to the Corporation, but Edwards bought the first 1000 books for its collection. He also opened the library, in 1893. More info here: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1402042

By: Angela P

Angela P — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 08:39:37 +0000

Not so much a comment, more a question – but I must say I found this blog article very interesting. It shed some light on a very early part of my working life!
My first job after leaving school was at the Canning Town Public Library, which introduced me to a way of life, and people, with whom I had until then almost no contact. It was a revelation that taught me very rapidly some of the realities of life.
My question is simply this – was the Canning Town Library one of the Passmore Edwards libraries? I should love to know.
Thanks for the always interesting and enlightening Spitalifields Life.

By: Karen Rennie

Karen Rennie — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 08:31:46 +0000

My father was one of those children of Jewish immigrants who benefited from this philanthropism. As the oldest of 5 children living in Wilkes Road and later Brick Lane, he was encouraged to study at the Whitechapel Library. There was no room at home! His mother Annie was illiterate, but knew the importance of education. Jack managed to pass his medical entrance exams to the London Hospital over the road. He went on to qualify as one of this countries’ first NHS GPs. Dr Jack Fishman was a lifelong supporter of the library system that helped him. He belonged to as many libraries as he could. The back seat of our car was always littered with piles of library books being ferried back and forth to all members of the family as we were growing up. And they had to be returned on time!

By: Joan Barleycorn

Joan Barleycorn — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 08:04:33 +0000

What excellent philanthropy.

The closure of local authority libraries has been and continues to be tragic. It is almost impossible to credit what austerity politics has done to informal education in this country. Libraries offered knowledge, pleasure and freedom. The unstructured joy and benefits of self directed reading cannot be underestimated.

When I look around to see libraries closing and see other cuts such as the savage cuts to Adult Education, it makes me very sad. Meanwhile mainstream education has become an exam-forcing factory with stressed out teachers wanting to leave the profession. I work in further education and some of my young learners have never read a book outside those they have had to read or study at school.

There is something amiss.