John Lawrence Hall, Lahore. 1861-62. Architect: G. Stone. Source of image: Illustrated London News (31 December 1864): 673. [Click on image to enlarge it.] Tim Willasey-Wilsey, our Assistant Editor for Military and Colonial History, points out that this building is now called the Qaid-e-Azam Library and that the more photogenic side of the Library was once called Montgomery Hall and 90% of the photos on the web are of its classical facade whereas only 10% are of the uglier Lawrence Hall. See, for example, this University of Alberta site. — George P. Landow

Commentary in the Illustrated London News

As a sequel to the Illustrations in our last Number of the visit of Sir John Lawrence, Governor-General of India, to the capital of the Punjaub in the middle of October, we now give a view of the Lawrence Hall, a building erected some years since in the city of Lahore to serve for the public accommodation, and at the same time to form a monument of that distinguished man, who was then Lieutenant-Governor of the province. Here, on the 17th of October last, the present Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Robert Montgomery, entertained the Governor-General at a conversazione, which was attended by most of the civil and military officers, with their wives and daughters. A concert of excellent music was provided by a number of amateur performers, after which the company sat down to supper in a large tent behind the hall. Here the health of Sir John Lawrence was proposed by the Lieutenant-Governor in the heartiest terras of old friendship—as having been his schoolfellow at Londonderry forty years ago—with a just eulogy of the public services and abilities of the new Viceroy of India. This toast having been drunk with no less cordial cheers, the Governor-General replied. He alluded “with pride and sorrow” to the example of those who fell in the terrible struggle of 1857 ; and, with regard to the Punjaub especially, declared that he had seen with the greatest pleasure how much its condition had improved under the rule of his successor at Lahore.

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Last modified 23 December 2015