Carrere & Hastings, architects of the Central Library on 42nd Street (now the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building) designed room 316 as a 19th century picture gallery. On May 22, 1986, the 75th anniversary of the opening of the building, the room was formally dedicated to Edna Barnes Salomon, the wife of Mr. Richard Salomon, Chairman of the Board of the Library from July 1977 to May 1981. In addition to the oil portaits of various Astors, members of the Lenox family, some of the Shelley & Wollstonecraft clan, some landscapes and scenes of New York, there two matching life size portraits of Charles Coburn and Ivah Wills (Mrs. Coburn) as  from As You Like It.

Orlando is painted by Joseph Cummings Chase (1878-1965) and Rosalind by Robert Henri (1865-1929). Mr. Coburn gave them to the Library—I wonder why, us in particular? We of a certain age remember Mr. Coburn as the crusty codger of many a mid-century movie, but here he is quite a bit younger and slimmer.

Why not take a look at them (they're quite nice), as you come by soon for Shakespeare Week April 15-20 at 1:15 p.m. in the South Court Auditorium. There will be lectures on Hamlet and schizophrenia, a demonstration of how directorial styles have changed, contemporary poets re-imagining his characters, a lecture on that mysterious, beautiful and unknown poem The Phoenix and Turtle, a master class for the English Speaking Union's youngbloods, and a reading of a new one-woman play, based on Joan of Arc, using only the Bard's words.