Congrats to the guest commenter who correctly identified this week's Cornerspotter image as "the old main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. It was the first wing that was refaced with the building's enlargement and completion." That is absolutely right, and the ID was bolstered by commenter bakurabw, who spotted "the columns that grace the entrance to prospect park in the foreground," despite our best efforts to crop out identifying contextual features.
We're looking at the portion of Grand Army Plaza where Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway meet. Architect Raymond Almirall envisioned a grand domed Beaux Arts central library for Brooklyn, similar in style to the nearby Brooklyn Museum, whose dome can be seen in the photo's background. A World War and the Great Depression obstructed Almirall's grand design, however, and by 1929 when this photo was taken there was just the single Flatbush Avenue wing. Eventually, Almirall's expensive design was thrown over for a cheaper, streamlined Art Deco plan that was completed in 1940 and the central library opened to the public in 1941. Thanks for playing!
· Hint: One Civic Treasure Had to Surrender in Part to Another [Curbed]
· Cornerspotter [Curbed]
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