Guilds -- England -- London; London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- History
The headquarters of the British and Foreign Bible Society is solidly
designed, with pilasters running up the front between the windows. Over
the great door, supported by blocks of polished granite, is a heavy
stone balcony, and three smaller balconies project from the windows
above. An ornamental cornice runs round the roof. The architect was Mr.
Edward l’Anson.
The library contains the Fry collection of English Bibles, the most
complete ever made. This was purchased by the Society for £6000. It
includes a copy of the earliest edition of _Coverdale_ printed abroad
1535, and one of the earliest editions printed in England two years
later. In the cases about the room are many objects of interest—a German
Bible printed 1473; Codex Zacynthus, a palimpsest, of which the earlier
writing is supposed to date from the fifth or sixth century, the later
from the twelfth. The Society was founded in 1804. Its object is simply
to “circulate the Bible without note or comment, in all languages and in
all lands.”
Since its foundation over 140 million copies of the Bible, whole or in
parts, have been issued. The Society now produces the Bible in about 330
languages and dialects. The University Press monopolises the printing of
English Bibles, and much of the printing of the Society in foreign
languages is done abroad. The only actual printing carried on in Queen
Victoria Street is that done by one man, who works with two hand-presses
for the blind. But the issue of fresh copies by the Society comes to an
average of 13,000 for every working day.
The General Post Office Savings Bank offices, with a frontage of about
250 feet, are next door. The garden belonging to the old Doctors Commons
stretched across the roadway at this point, and was only finally cleared
away in 1867 at the making of the new street.
The Heralds’ College or College of Arms is a fine old building in
deep-coloured brick. The front stands back from the street, and is
supported by two wings. The small courtyard resulting is separated from
the street front by high iron railings and gates. There are two brick
and stone piers at each gateway, with that favourite ornament of the
Stuart period—stone balls—on their summits. The back of the eastern wing
abuts on Peter’s Hill, and the wide, outside flap shutters of an
old-world style give the little hill a quaint aspect. The College was
rebuilt after the Fire, and restored at the opening of Queen Victoria
Street. It was originally Derby House, built by the first Earl of Derby
and presented in 1555 by Queen Mary to the then Garter King-of-Arms; so
it has long been devoted to its present use. Returning to Queen Victoria
Street we see opposite in enormous gilt letters, each four or five feet
long, “Salvation Army International Headquarters” right across the front
of a great building.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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