Past Glories

Here are some great photos of beautiful old buildings that have been demolished. The first is Cincinnati's Old Main Library demolished in 1955. 

From the Collection of The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County:

Cincinnati, Ohio's current downtown public library branch is grand in its own right as one of the busiest branches in the country. But its predecessor, demolished in the spring of 1955, was nothing short of stunning. Built in 1874, the 'Old Main' library was originally intended to be an opera house, with a towering atrium that instead became home to five tiers of stacked bookshelves. 

The Main Hall looking from the stacks

The Stacks. Quite impressive. 

Here are a few photos of the old Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Quite different from the new Met. 

The old Metropolitan Opera Building on 39th Street, opened in 1883 with a production of Faust.  

A view of the stage and proscenium 

A great photo of the ceiling detail. All of these photos were taken in 1966.