Carnegie Library — Attraction in Washington

I had read about the renovation of the antiquated library. I had a transfer good for two hours, so I walked up the marble steps and into the great hall. Apple had filled the second floor chambers with merchandise, from televisions to iPhones and laptops.

An artist named Rose Jaffe stood in front of a gargantuan projection of a mural. She talked about how she created it with the help of other artists and Apple software. She flipped through almost twenty different murals, all of them colorful, engaging and silently talking about the importance of community and cooperation. A large audience had gathered, many looking like designers and creatives. We all sat on these low cubes, easily moved or stacked. Each creative watched what Jaffe was doing, hoping to replicate it at home in the lab.

And then the staff, the Apple salespeople, handed out a iPad to every member of the audience. We didn’t have to wait to go home to the lab. I fiddled with a quick drawing of a woman under a ficus tree and surrounded by friends, delighted to see how the stylus felt like a Chinese ink brush in my hand. I kinda did my own thing as everyone else tried to make a street legit poster. After all, I have been working on Macs & Apples longer than most. Ever since I served as a student teacher in Fenton, Michigan, circa 1987, I have worked with the operating system. I didn’t need a computer to count the years that had passed: thirty-three years!

As I walked out of the palatial hall, I found myself humming a tune, the optimistic lyrics inspired by a Walt Whitman poem. I Sing the Body Electric. Ray Bradbury gave that title to one of his books of science fiction. Rod Serling gave that title to his one hundredth episode of The Twilight Zone. Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore took up the phrase once more, and wrote one incredible song for the movie Fame, again repeating the title, I Sing the Body Electric. That’s one remarkable sentence.

Swoon, the artist currently in the limelight for her intricate drawings, said she finds herself on a party line from the past when she explores art history. I loved that idea. Thus, I was leaving a building that had at least three parties on the line: Carnegie, Jobs and everyone in attendance that night. Soon, everyone will be on the party line with a tablet in their hand, connected to the Force. Or at least the internet and hopefully not the dark web.

I found a picture of Andrew Carnegie, sitting at his desk that doubled as a work bench. Henry Burden, the inventor of the horse shoe machine and also a Scot, also sat in an office where he could get his hands on tools and work the metal, solve a problem represented with real materials. Carnegie had stared right into the lens of the camera, trying not to move. The light blurs where he fidgeted a tad made the picture seem alive. He stared into the camera lens, and his eyes stared into mine decades later. He couldn’t hear me, but I wanted to assure him that his library was still being put...

The DC Carnegie Library is a historic landmark in Washington, D.C. that has been transformed into a modern Apple flagship store. The building was originally built in 1903 with funding from Andrew Carnegie, and it served as the city's central library for many years. In 2019, the library closed for a two-year renovation, and it reopened in 2021 as an Apple store.

The Apple Carnegie Library is a beautiful example of Beaux-Arts architecture. The exterior is made of white marble, and the interior features a soaring rotunda with a skylight. The store which is on the first floor is home to a wide variety of Apple products, as well as a Genius Bar for technical support. There is also a space called the Forum that is used for events and workshops.

In addition to being an Apple store, the DC Carnegie Library is also a museum of DC history which is on the second floor. The store features a number of exhibits about the library's history, as well as the history of DC. There are also interactive displays that allow visitors to learn about the city's past. Some of the collection was moved to the MLK library a few blocks away to make room for apple.

Overall, the DC Carnegie Library is a must-visit for anyone interested in history, architecture, or Apple products. The store is a beautiful and historic landmark that has been thoughtfully restored and repurposed.

Here are some of the pros and cons of the DC Carnegie Library:

Pros:

Beautiful Beaux-Arts architecture

Wide variety of Apple products Forum for events and workshops Museum of DC history

Cons:

Can be crowded, especially on weekends

Not as much selection of Apple products as some other Apple stores

Overall, I would highly recommend visiting the DC Carnegie Library. It is a beautiful and historic landmark that has been thoughtfully restored and repurposed. Whether you are interested in Apple products, history, or architecture, you are sure to...

Carnegie Library is an interesting model. It's a historic library opened by the Carnegie family in 1902 (it was dedicated in 1903). During a time when most places in D.C. were segregated, this public library was for everyone. The architecture is gorgeous and there's plenty of space to read and relax. However, it closed in the 1970s.

After a few decades closed, it reopened with the DC Historical Society inside. It housed the Society and was used for events for awhile. However, the upkeep was too much.

In May 2019, the library reopened with the help of Apple. Spending an alleged $33M, Apple restored it using its original floor design. They have, of course, retail inside, but the majority of the space is used for the community. Apple has daily free classes on design, coding, and photography. They have a program to teach kids to code through dancing robots and teachers how to use tech in the classroom. There's a space for entrepreneurs to help them grow their businesses.

The basement has an exhibit that tells the story of the actual building. Upstairs is where the DC Historical Society still is and Apple helped them build a research library with 100,000+ cataloged photographs, thousands of books and maps as well. They have two galleries telling the history of DC. There's also a Shop Made In DC selling local items from cards to coasters to snacks.

Regardless of your stance on big business, it's worth visiting to see a beautiful, historic building and a new model of...