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Thomas
Warburton bought the asylum in September 1800. Shortly after, it was extended and renamed the White House. There was another large mansion next door, named the Red House, which also became a part of the mental asylum. Eventually the White House was demolished, and the Red House was enlarged to
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The first building that has been recorded on the site in
Bethnal Green Gardens was a large timber-framed mansion. It was built in 1570, by a rich merchant named John Kirby, and was known as 'Kirby's Castle' by locals. Matthew Wright was leased the building in 1727 and turned it into a private
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The library was hit by a bomb at the beginning of the World War Two Blitz, then librarian George F. Vale and his deputy
Stanley Snaith extended the library service to the underground bomb shelters with a "Shelter Library".
152:, London. The library was opened by Mayor Councillor J.J. Vaughan on 13 October 1922. The first known building on the site was built in 1570 and was leased in 1727 to Matthew Wright. It was then turned into a private
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In March 2021 the library, along with Cubitt Town
Library, was threatened with closure. The decision was reversed at the last moment at a council cabinet meeting.
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include a new male block in the south-west side of the asylum in 1896. This would eventually become the site of
Bethnal Green Library.
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In 2019 the library was renovated and nominated for the New London
Architecture Awards' Conservation and Retrofit category.
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have played gigs at the library. There have also been talks, children's activities and book fairs.
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lunatic asylum: Wright's
Madhouse. It became notorious for its cruel treatment of patients.
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608:"From page to stage: should more libraries become theatres? | Natasha Tripney"
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364:"Bethnal Green Library helped us win the war. Don't let a pandemic close it"
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488:"'War of words' at Tower Hamlets cabinet meeting stops library closures"
390:"Bethnal Green Public Library, from mental asylum to refuge of the arts"
283:"Bethnal Green Public Library, from mental asylum to refuge of the arts"
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which became known as Wright's
Madhouse. The asylum closed in 1920.
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415:"Bethnal Green's underground wartime library – Historia Magazine"
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Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, London E2 0HL, United
Kingdom
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Free entry, library membership required to access most services
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situated in
Bethnal Green Gardens on Cambridge Heath Road in
512:"Idea Store - Bethnal Green Library 100 Years Celebrations"
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Wiener Library for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide
536:"Bethnal Green Library, London Events & Tickets 2022"
463:"NLA New London Awards 2019 Nomination — DONALD MC CRORY"
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The library has held many types of events. The bands
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659:Libraries and archives in London
309:"The Library of Books and Bombs"
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876:Islington Local History Centre
782:The Library at Willesden Green
194:, with events and activities.
186:Children's area of the library
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1127:London Action Resource Centre
1040:University of the Arts London
810:Westminster Reference Library
800:London Metropolitan Archives
1086:Library for Iranian Studies
564:www.towerhamletsarts.org.uk
486:Brooke, Mike (2021-03-03).
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1022:London School of Economics
886:Kensington Central Library
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307:Hisayo Buchanan, Rowan.
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834:Croydon Central Library
701:National Poetry Library
584:"'Gringer the Whinger'"
236:www.towerhamlets.gov.uk
232:"Bethnal Green Library"
1176:House of Lords Library
1147:Lambeth Palace Library
1054:Senate House Libraries
882:Kensington and Chelsea
711:Parliamentary Archives
706:Natural History Museum
492:East London Advertiser
261:historicengland.org.uk
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1091:Marx Memorial Library
1012:King's College London
920:Upper Norwood Library
846:Upper Norwood Library
842:South Norwood Library
838:New Addington Library
820:Swiss Cottage Library
768:East Finchley Library
726:The National Archives
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142:Bethnal Green library
22:Bethnal Green Library
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944:John Harvard Library
856:Muswell Hill Library
802:, Shoe Lane Library)
758:Valence House Museum
754:Barking and Dagenham
735:National Art Library
1199:British War Library
1158:Evangelical Library
1071:Bishopsgate Library
1006:Abdus Salam Library
874:(Finsbury Library,
806:City of Westminster
778:Kensal Rise Library
691:Imperial War Museum
419:www.historiamag.com
111:Access requirements
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218:References
208:Ste McCabe
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936:Southwark
872:Islington
212:Tuff Love
192:centenary
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266:15 April
241:15 April
74:Location
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373:3 March
344:13 June
160:History
124:Website
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198:Events
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