This is the second and final installment of my visit to the Sherman Library and Gardens, located in lovely Newport Beach. You can read Part 1 here if you missed it.
As we discovered last week, the Sherman Gardens is lovely! At the bottom of this post you can see photos of some of the cacti and succulents in its collection. This post will highlight the Sherman Library.
The Sherman Library is charming — like stepping into a library from the 1950s. Shelves are filled with old books (some 15,000 volumes), an index system consisting of drawers of oranized paper index cards, hardly anything modern around — I loved it!
The Library specializes in the 19th and 20th century history of the Pacific Southwest (southern California, Arizona, northern Mexico). The Library’s collections detail development of this region in multiple formats — like books, photographs (30,000 images), maps, and periodicals. There’s also an interesting collection of old city directories and phone books, the likes of which I haven’t seen in a long time. The material can be used on site, but can not be checked out.
The Library is also home to a collection of California Impressionist art — many interesting paintings decorating its walls. If you like libraries, this one is worth taking a little time to explore.
I conclude the post with some photos of the Garden’s succulent and cactus garden. I’m partial to such plants, and these are nicely presented.
I also spotted this simple but interesting banister near the Library….
And lastly, a pretty kitty-cat. Looks quite well cared for and very safe from coyotes and dogs within this haven.
I’d definitely recommend a visit to the Sherman Library and Gardens when you’re visiting the Newport Beach region.
