It’s often all too difficult to convince myself to go off campus for the sole purpose of doing work. It is, undeniably, far easier to head over to Tisch or Edwin Ginn Library rather than take the time to explore something new. But the Boston Athenaeum — a unique combination of library and museum — provides me with just the excuse I need, containing both spaces to study and art exhibits to admire all on the same floor.
As one of the country’s oldest public libraries, the Athenaeum is infused with history. Its name — meaning “place of Athena” — is honored throughout, from its main gallery being bookended by domineering statues of Demosthenes, Sophocles and Roman goddess Venus, to its high-arching pillars reminiscent of an ancient Greek temple. United States history is on full display as well, with busts of former Presidents George Washington and Alexander Hamilton placed in the main gallery and paintings of historic American figures and landscapes lining the walls.
The Athenaeum fuses its archaic architecture and historic artifacts with modern elements, evidence of a 21st-century existence. Bridging the entrance and the main gallery is a library room, its shelves stocked with the newest releases. In the main gallery sits the cheery Curiosity Cart, offering scavenger hunt pamphlets and notebooks filled with colored pencil sketches from past visitors.
On display was a series of curated artwork of varying themes. Toward the back of the first floor was the “Visionary Projects” display of over 80 sketches by architecture illustrator Frank M. Constantino. Constantino’s sketches are a love letter to Boston, depicting bright, lively stills that portray the city as both colossal and charming.
My favorite exhibit of all was the entirely canine-themed exhibit “Best in Show,” featuring historic photographs, picture books and illustrations highlighting the close bond between people and dogs.
When it comes time to get some work done, one needn’t step more than a few feet. The main gallery leads right into the Albert Gordon Reading Room, furnished with long oak tables and old-fashioned spindle-back chairs.
Also featured are full-length and bust-sized statues, 18th-century paintings, porcelain vases and an intricately-carved grandfather clock. The first-floor sitting room offers a bright studying experience, marked by natural light, salmon-pink walls and modern leather chairs. The paintings in this room are brighter as well, flooded with colorful images of city streets and nature.
While the cost for a student day pass would typically be $8, I was delighted to discover that I had arrived on Slow Art Day, a national event for art appreciation, and thus had access to the first floor for free.
On days when this isn’t the case, I would say that the $8 is worth it — especially considering it’s around the price one might pay to sit at a coffee shop. The location of the Athenaeum is accessible as well, only a few minutes’ walk from Park Station on the Green Line of the MBTA.
The Athenaeum being located on 10 ½ Street feels like a perfect metaphor for its nebulous, elusive categorization. In fact, the Athenaeum feels like a perfect representation of Boston itself. Should you be looking to escape to a place of merging worlds — both colossal and charming, oldfangled and new, as a half-street between library and museum — then the Athenaeum is only waiting.
