Bronze Southern Doors of the Mitchell Library, Sydney: A Hidden Artistic, Literary and Symbolic Treasure

Abstract

The building of the major part of the Mitchell Library (1939 - 1942) resulted in four pairs of bronze entrance doors, three on the northern facade and one on the southern facade. The three pairs on the northern facade of the library are obvious to everyone entering the library from Shakespeare Place and are well documented. However very little has been written on the pair on the southern facade apart from brief mentions in two books of the State Library buildings, so few people know of their existence. Sadly the excellent bronze doors on the southern facade of the library cannot readily be opened and are largely hidden from view due to the 1987 construction of the Glass House skylight between the newly built main wing of the State Library of New South Wales and the Mitchell Library. These doors consist of six square panels featuring bas-reliefs of different early printers’ marks and two rectangular panels at the bottom with New South Wales wildflowers. Because the southern doors were constructed in 1942 as part of a building with neo-classical architecture they reflect the culture of the time and are an artistic, literary and cultural treasure of the State Library of New South Wales and are being neglected when they should be cherished. The three areas of research I have followed are the invention of printing in Europe including early printers’ marks, late 19th and early 20th century library building architecture, and bronze doors. These all intersect on the bronze southern doors of the Mitchell Library. I have followed the two main personalities in the production of these doors. Firstly the benefactor, Sir William Dixson, who donated money for the three northern doors in memory of David Scott Mitchell with sufficient residual funds for the southern doors. Secondly, 1 William Ifould, Principal Librarian of the Public Library of New South Wales 1912 - 1942, who was the driving force behind the construction of the main part of Mitchell Library during changing times with conflict between traditionalism and modernism. He was a confirmed traditionalist who selected the artists and images for all the bronze doors and personally designed the southern doors. In my conclusion I offer a resolution to the problem viewing these doors with a plan for the readers and visitors to the library to be able to see the heritage listed southern doors and understand their significance.