The Best Gift
THE BEST GIFT
Montana’s Carnegie Libraries
written by Kate Hampton
photography by Tom Ferris
commissioned by The Montana History Foundation
hardcover, 120 pages, 9 1/8 x 9 1/8
161 Black and White and Historical Images
ISBN: 978-1-59152-250-8
$19.95
Between 1910 and 1922, seventeen Montana communities built libraries with money given to them by the era's richest man, Andrew Carnegie. Fifteen of those libraries stand today, and their story is told compellingly here by architectural historian Kate Hampton. Just as he did in Hand Raised: The Barns of Montana, photographer Tom Ferris provides stunning detail of both the classic and unusual architectural elements of these iconic buildings. Hand-drawn architectural renderings and other historical images combine to create a detailed portrait of Carnegie's rich legacy in Montana.
All book proceeds benefit Montana historic preservation!
Learn more about your community's Carnegie Library!
Requested by librarians, organized by the History Foundation, and funded by private donors and community grants, a traveling exhibit will visit eleven of the original seventeen Carnegie library communities between September 2019 and the summer of 2020. This exhibit will include a launch party in each community and information geared toward each individual library and its history in that community.