SHREVEPORT – No matter the religion, buildings like cathedrals, mosques and temples were built to inspire belief in something larger than oneself.
The James Smith Noel Collection at LSUS is displaying a variety of books and prints featuring religious buildings in its exhibit Sacred Spaces: Books & Prints of Sacral Architecture from Around the World.
Attendees can view floor plans from cathedrals like Notre Dame in Paris and the Great Mosque of Jenin in northern West Bank of Palestine.
Detailed drawings and information is also displayed about temples in Asia and throughout the Mayan and Aztec empires of Central and South America.
“These structures were created to express faith in something bigger than ourselves, whether they were simple or elaborate buildings,” said Martha Lawler, director of the Noel Collection. “These are not just old buildings, they serve a very important purpose.
“Cathedrals for example were designed in the shape of a cross. The top part of the cross is where the most sacred spaces are, and traditionally they faced to the East so that you’re praying to the rising sun.”
Prints of Westminster Abbey and other notable English churches line one side of the exhibit.
Other examples of Gothic architecture are scattered throughout the exhibit’s books. Gothic architecture often included things found in the natural world like leaves as part of its adornment.
Islamic architecture is influenced by Mesopotamian as well as Roman and Byzantine cultures – groups that either occupied areas of the Middle East or were part of Islamic conquests and later became part of the Arabian and Ottoman empires.
Islamic architecture principles are part of the foundation of Gothic architecture, evidence of its influence on Europe and America.
The books and prints featuring this religious architecture were largely published from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s.
The exhibit was curated by catalogers Kate Sedgwick and Gabby Amorelli as well as history student Simon Hall, who volunteers at the collection.
The exhibit can be viewed through Nov. 8.
Architecture was one of James Smith Noel’s passions, and the avid book collector amassed quite an accumulation.
In all, Noel collected more than 200,000 books, which are housed on the third floor of the Noel Memorial Library on LSUS’s campus. The books encompass a wide range of topics, and themes are selected for display – religious architecture for example.
It’s the largest private collection of antiquarian books, prints and maps in the United States.
“It’s so much more than just a collection of old books – all of these books have a story to tell,” Lawler said. “Some of those stories have been lost to us.
“But we want people to know that these old books still have a place and usefulness today.”
Tours of the exhibit and of the entire collection can be made by appointment. The collection is open from 8-4:30 on weekdays.
