Description: Looking north towards Victoria Centre Development. The first Nottingham Public Library building is on the right above the SMC shop. Showing the Corn Exchange, which opened in 1850. Designed by T C Hine, it comprised of an exchange room 77 feet by 55 and nearly 40 feet high, a clerk's office, a newsroom, with suitable offices, and a residence for a house-keeper. The approach was by a large inner portico or colonnade, communicating with the chief room by wide folding doors in the centre and with the office and principal staircase by doors on the side. The room was lighted by a series of span roofs, entirely glazed with cast plate, and supported by truss beams, with laminated bows, and with brackets resting on carved stone corbels. The iron work was made ornamental by gilding, and by being painted a rich blue. There were forty-five stalls, of elegant construction. The exterior of the building presented a substantial and respectable appearance, and was executed in brickwork, with moulded stone dressing. The style of architecture was a combination of the English and Italian, (and was after the type of an old Latin Grammar school-house, at Appleby Parva, near Ashby-de-la-Zouch, which is said to have been designed by Sir Christopher Wren). The building cost altogether £3,000. The news room was approached by a stone staircase, with arcades on each side of clustered columns, which were made of polished Derbyshire spar marble.The building is still there, now called 'O'Reilly's' club and Bars. The Old Victoria railway line ran directly under this street. (There are photographs showing the whole surface of the length of the street ripped up whilst the tunnel was dug, then the road was re-laid over the top of it.)