John Rylands Library never operated as such. A caretaker's house was incorporated in the building until it was demolished for the extension of 1969. Electric lighting was chosen as the cleanest and safest alternative to gas but, as the use of electricity was in its early stages, the supply (110 volts DC) was generated on-site. This took some years to achieve due to the inexperience of contractors, but the library became one of the first public buildings in Manchester to be lit by electricity and continued to generate its own supply until 1950. Champneys suggested that, in order to protect the books and
Robert Rylands' Last Journey Robert Rylands' Last Journey Robert Rylands' Last Journey () is a Spanish-British film directed by Gracia Querejeta that premiered on 18 October 1996. It was the director's second feature film. Her script is a loose adaptation of the novel "" by Javier Marías, which the novelist repudiated. The subsequent controversy ended with a lawsuit, which resulted in a indemnification towards the writer and an order to withdraw his name from the credits of the film. Robert Rylands, a seductive archaeologist and university professor aged 60, voluntarily presents himself to testify at the police station. His story to the deputy, which