On the corner of Benefit and College Streets in Providence, Rhode Island stands a slightly imposing granite building with two pillars and no windows on the facade. It looks like it could be the headquarters of some private organization, but there’s a humble fountain in front bubbling away and the gates are wide open.
Inside is a bibliophile’s sweetest daydream. Dozens of nooks and perches where anyone can curl up with any one of the many thousands of books that are crammed into all those caves and aeries. A skylight and windows along the sides of the building fill the place with light, and the staff greets all visitors warmly.
The main building is from 1836. The collection of books dates back to 1853, though, and several additions have been made since it first opened its doors to the public. While anyone may visit, only subscribing members can take books out. Since it is a neighbor to both Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, the Athenaeum has had many distinguished visitors, but the best known are Edgar Allen Poe (who got dumped by his truly beloved there) and H.P. Lovecraft, who was never a member, but often visited. The athenaeum has adopted the raven as their mascot, and a bust of the king of Cthulhu gazes upon all who enter.
I photographed the Athenaeum in two Sunday morning sessions before the doors were open to the public in May and June of 2019. Ever since I’d visited in the 1980s when my brother was a student at RISD, the Athenaeum had been on the top of my list as a space I wanted to capture and share with the world.
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