When I disembarked from the streetcar on Queen East, I walked right past the Queen and Saulter Library. Doubling back, I looked up at a massive Neoclassical building in light brown, marvelling at the bulk and scale of it. Standing on the sidewalk in an overt display of gawk, I read an inscription about the history of this substantial building. Designed by E. J. Lennox, it was completed in 1913. Huge stone columns testified to its seriousness of purpose, as the edifice served as Postal Station G from 1913 to 1975.
The heavy dark wood doors comprising the double entrance confirmed the impression of gravity, as did the marble floor and check-out counter. However, the high windows gave light and honey to the interior, offsetting the somber colours of the exterior and entryway. To further soften the formality, there were lots of plants on the broad windowsills, a glass case with cat figurines, and a stuffed dragon with bells attached. Small tapestries illustrating the stories of Jack and Jill, Little Red Ridinghood, and The Three Little Pigs warmed the south wall of the library. I especially remember the sewn picture of the wolf lurking in a fabric valley, his eyes focussed on the top of a hill where a pig was holding his ground in an arc of cloth.