Top of page

Archive: 2011 (40 Posts)

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

New Laurels for the 16th Laureate

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

Kay Ryan, the 16th Poet Laureate of the United States (2008-2010) and a person of wry wisdom, today won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Hear, hear! Specifically, the prize was for her book “The Best of It: New and Selected Poems” (Grove Press).  The Pulitzer people described the book this way: “a body of work …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

The Strings Shall Sing Again

Posted by: Erin Allen

The Library has been known to save a life … the life of an instrument, that is. While it’s always exciting when a new discovery is made within the institution’s vaults, it’s equally amazing when we can share it. In 1937, H. Blakiston Wilkins made a gift to the Library of six early stringed instruments: …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

3-D Viewing for Civil War Photos

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

This guest post is by Photography Curator Carol Johnson of the Library of Congress. The sesquicentennial of the Civil War coincides with renewed interest in 3-D images for movies, cameras, and television. Although 3-D technology seems new, stereo photography first became popular around the time of the Civil War. In fact, many Civil War photographs …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Your Life Flashes Before Your … Ears?

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

This year’s selections for the National Recording Registry were announced today —   the ninth annual addition to a list now totaling 325 recordings deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant and worthy of preservation for all time. According to the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian of Congress – with input from the Library’s …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

A Fashion Faux Pas of Epic Proportions

Posted by: Erin Allen

What exactly is a “shirtwaist?” The American shirtwaist was a fashion trend for women at the turn of the 20th century, noted for the pairing of tailored shirt and skirt – offering a glimpse of the ankles – and was very fashion-forward during its day. “Shirt-waist sets are among the attractive dress accessories to tempt …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

The Warmth of the Electronic Hearth

Posted by: Matt Raymond

Before I came to the Library, I was privileged to do communications work for UNICEF. A colleague of mine, Steve Cassidy, a former CNN newsman and the head of UNICEF’s electronic media programs, and I would discuss the concept of the “electronic hearth,” a phrase that had been used to describe television in America. Where …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

The Library Heads SXSW

Posted by: Matt Raymond

Butch Lazorchak of the Library’s National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program brings us this guest post on the Library’s involvement in one of the most important conferences for the creative and technology communities: The South By Southwest Conference, being held in Austin, Texas, March 11-20, 2011,  has rapidly become one of the most influential …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Gateway to Knowledge Guest Post #18

Posted by: Erin Allen

This is the 18th in a series of guest posts by Abigail Van Gelder, who with her husband, Josh, is journeying across the country on the Library’s “Gateway to Knowledge” traveling exhibition: Each community we visit is unique and will have something special that stands out in our memories. San Angelo, Texas, may forever be …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Gateway to Knowledge Guest Post #17

Posted by: Erin Allen

This is the 17th in a series of guest posts by Abigail Van Gelder, who with her husband, Josh, is journeying across the country on the Library’s “Gateway to Knowledge” traveling exhibition: It’s not supposed to snow in Texas, so we are starting to think the snow clouds are following us! After grinding through many …