Crimson Staircase

It is difficult to miss the Lello Library as you wander through the small, bustling streets of Porto Portugal. Its ornate exterior would entice any passerby to stop for a closer look and the seemingly endless caterpillar of eager tourists waiting to enter is a daily indication of its popularity and significance. For millennials such as myself, a large draw to this destination was its roll in the book series that sparked joy and wonderment in millions of young readers around the world: Harry Potter.

The author, J.K. Rowling spent hours in this very bookstore. Much of her vivid imagery of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was inspired by the unique castle-like atmosphere of the Lello Library. And when I stepped into that world of books and people bathed in the warm light cast through the yellow stained glass ceiling, I felt the magic immediately. Here was a place full of stories: not only the literal stories contained in thousands of books, but also the walking stories of every person who climbed those crimson stairs. The staircase is the centerpiece of the bookstore as it splits and winds in a uniquely round shape and dips at the top to form a small bridge from one end of the second floor to the other. It is brought to life with the constant flow of excited tourists from all over the world ambling up, down, and around. Each step has a slight dip in the middle from the sheer volume of human feet that have slowly warn down the wood over years of appreciation for this amazing place. This photograph was captured from that dipping bridge on the second floor in an attempt to highlight the beauty of that circular flow of life. In order to stand in that spot with my camera, I had to first sail across the Atlantic from my home on the east coast of the United States, and so for me, this photograph represents a great journey, a marriage of literature and architecture, and an appreciation for the circular flow of human existence.