Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Portrait bust of William Ifould

Portrait bust of William Ifould

Bronze on marble stand
Commissioned 1945

Principal librarian from 1912 to 1942, William Herbert Ifould was the driving force behind the design and construction of the Public Library. His passion, determination and fervent attention to detail at times brought him into conflict with the government architects but kept the project going despite numerous setbacks. Ifould also played an important role in ensuring that only the best designers and craftspeople were assigned to the job, and saw the Library’s collection used to inspire many of the architectural and design elements of the building.

With great enthusiasm and relentless attention to detail, Ifould was instrumental in forging a new intellectual direction for the Library. His priority was to convert the Public Library into a ‘working Library’ that was accessible to a broader public, not just to researchers and scholars. He also sought to make the Library the leading institution in the Commonwealth for collecting records and documents relating to Australian history.

This portrait bust was commissioned by Ifould, and was presented to him as a retirement gift by Library staff. The sculptor, Arthur Fleischmann, also created a number of other artworks and design features for the Library.

Ifould refused to compromise quality for cost, and as a result the budget for the new building spiralled. But with a talent for appealing to the generosity of his wealthy connections, Ifould was able to see his vision for ‘a real posh library’ realised.


Footnotes

Smith’s Weekly, 1940

On his retirement, Ifould was described by his deputy and successor John Metcalfe as ‘the Churchill of our Library empire’.


Footnotes

D J Jones, A source of Inspiration and Delight, 1988, p 98

Ifould once said ‘If I could not be a librarian, I should choose to be an architect’.


Footnotes

D J Jones, A source of Inspiration and Delight, 1988, p 80

With his exceptional drive and abilities, after retiring as principal librarian in 1942 Ifould was immediately offered the position of deputy director of the Department of War Organisation of Industry.

In 1928 the Sunday Times described Ifould as ‘the State’s most civil, civil servant’.


Footnotes

D J Jones, A source of Inspiration and Delight, 1988, p 98