Portable Library
In this captivating scene from 1930s London, a woman strolls the streets with an entire library strapped to her back—an early and charming predecessor of today’s e-books and mobile reading apps. The image captures another woman selecting a title, embodying a time when access to literature was being creatively democratized.
Portable libraries like this were not just novelties—they were part of a larger movement to bring books to the public, especially in urban centres during the interwar years. With rising literacy and a growing middle class, initiatives to promote reading flourished, and this mobile solution was as practical as it was eye-catching.
📚 Have you ever seen bookmobiles or unusual ways of sharing knowledge in your town’s past?
Share your historic photos on OldPik.com and help keep these clever ideas alive!
SEO Tags:
1930s portable library UK, walking bookshelf, mobile library London, street librarians England, interwar reading culture, public book access
Portable libraries like this were not just novelties—they were part of a larger movement to bring books to the public, especially in urban centres during the interwar years. With rising literacy and a growing middle class, initiatives to promote reading flourished, and this mobile solution was as practical as it was eye-catching.
📚 Have you ever seen bookmobiles or unusual ways of sharing knowledge in your town’s past?
Share your historic photos on OldPik.com and help keep these clever ideas alive!
SEO Tags:
1930s portable library UK, walking bookshelf, mobile library London, street librarians England, interwar reading culture, public book access
Accessories
Adult
Bag
Boy
Child
Clothing
Coat
Face
Female
Footwear
Glove
Handbag
Head
Lady
Male
Man
Person
Shoe
Woman
Contributed by OldPik on January 6, 2025
Image
You must be logged in to comment on the photos.
Log in
Log in
No comment yet, be the first to comment...