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Posted by: Patrick Hastings
During the Revolutionary War, Robert Aitken famously printed the first complete Bible in English in North America. Decades later, his daughter, Jane Aitken, also printed a Bible credited with notable “firsts.”
Posted in: 18th Century, 19th Century, A250, America 250, America250, American History, Continental Congress, Famous Printers, Religion
Posted by: Michael North
Leonard Kebler made generous gifts to the Library in the 1940s and 50s that included rare Americana, hundreds of editions of Miguel Cervantes’s Don Quixote, and a beautiful Book of Hours.
Posted in: 15th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, American History, History of Science, Illuminated Manuscript, Poetry, Provenance, Uncategorized
Posted by: Marianna Stell
The fifteenth-century encyclopedic manuscript in the Rosenwald Collection, Rosenwald 4, includes a diagram attributed to the thirteenth-century Franciscan, Master John of Metz. Called the "Tower of Wisdom" (Turris sapientiae), the diagram nests 131 didactic elements into an architectural structure that offers insight into the dynamic way that medieval education used data visualization.
Posted in: 14th Century, 15th Century, Education History, History of the Book, Illustrated Book, Manuscript and Letterpress (Hand Press)
Posted by: Patrick Hastings
250 years ago this weekend, the United States officially declared its independence from Great Britain. Here are a few historical highlights and factoids about the making of the Declaration to enrich your celebration of the holiday.
Posted in: 18th Century, America 250, America250, American History, Continental Congress, Education, Education Outreach, Famous Printers, Thomas Jefferson
Posted by: Ashley Rose Young
On May 14, 2026, the Rare Book and Special Collections Division welcomed visitors to the Library of Congress for Our Common Ground: 250 Years of Americans Engaging with Nature, a symposium exploring the many ways Americans have experienced and interpreted the natural world. Organized around the themes We Create, We Adventure, and We Play, the program brought together artists, performers, writers, and game designers alongside rare books, ephemera, and illustrated works from the Library’s collections. Highlights included Jessica C. White’s reflections on printmaking and Appalachian storytelling, a live "crankie" performance with Jessica C. White and musicians and scholars Kevin Kehrberg and Jeffrey A. Keith, Mike Rogge’s thoughts on adventure and the enduring spirit of print culture, and Elizabeth Hargrave’s discussion of transforming ecological systems into joyful board games. This recap revisits memorable moments from the day and shares recordings of each session and performance.
Posted in: 18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, A250, African American Literature, America 250, America250, American History, Appalachia, Botanicals, History of Science, History of the Book, Illustrated Book, Our Common Ground: 250 Years of Americans Engaging with Nature, Women's Stories, Zoology
Posted by: Patrick Hastings
For the cover of the 1922 first edition of Ulysses, James Joyce desired a particular shade of "Greek blue" to evoke the novel's correspondences to Homer and The Odyssey. Thanks to the scientists at the Library of Congress, we now know the exact mixture of pigments used for that iconic cover.
Posted in: 20th Century, Book Anatomy, Classics, Famous Printers, Fine Press, France, History of the Book, Literature, Women in Book History
Posted by: Patrick Hastings
As part of the Library of Congress's celebration of the 250th anniversary of our nation's founding, we are hosting a webinar titled "Making the Declaration" this Thursday, June 11, at noon.
Posted in: 18th Century, A250, America 250, America250, American History, Continental Congress, Education Outreach, Thomas Jefferson
Posted by: Michael North
The Library owns many groundbreaking books from medicine’s past, some of them illustrated with images that make us glad we live in the 21st century. Topics range from anatomy and herbals to childbirth and Native American medical knowledge.
Posted in: 15th Century, 16th Century, 17th Century, 19th Century, Botanicals, History of Science, History of the Book, Illustrated Book, Medicine, Uncategorized
Posted by: Ashley Rose Young
Step back onto the trail with the Library of Congress’s latest From the Vaults videos, where rare books, maps, photographs, and illustrations open new paths into the nation’s history through the lens of nature. From Yellowstone and bald eagles to botanical art, space exploration, and the Donner Party, these visually rich stories reveal how generations of Americans have imagined, documented, and encountered the natural world.
Posted in: 18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, America 250, America250, American History, Book Anatomy, Contemporary Book Arts, History of the Book, Illustrated Book, Manuscript and Letterpress (Hand Press), Our Common Ground: 250 Years of Americans Engaging with Nature