Thomas Jefferson Knew his Greek
Posted by: Michael North
Learn why Thomas Jefferson annotated his copy of Xenophon's Cyropaedia.
Posted in: 18th Century, American History, Thomas Jefferson
Archive of all 6 Posts
The First “Modern” Medical Book
Posted by: Michael North
Printed in Basel in 1543, Andreas Vesalius' De Humani Corporis Fabrica is considered to be the first "modern" medical book that emphasizes clinical observation over a dependence on ancient texts. The Library of Congress has recently digitized its copy of De Fabrica, which was part of the generous gift of Lessing J. Rosenwald to the nation.
Posted in: 16th Century, Education History, History of Science, Illustrated Book, Manuscript and Letterpress (Hand Press)
Hidden Treasures: More Rare Books in the Online Catalog
Posted by: Michael North
The Library's rare book collections have become more accessible thanks to a project to enter information long hidden in card files and databases into the online catalog.
Posted in: 19th Century, 20th Century, Library History, News and Events
A Pair of Shakespeare First Folios at the Library of Congress
Posted by: Michael North
November 2023 marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio of William Shakespeare's plays. The Library of Congress is fortunate to own two copies of the First Folio in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division. One copy is a little unusual.
Posted in: 17th Century, Manuscript and Letterpress (Hand Press), Poetry, Provenance
An Anatomy of Thomas Jefferson
Posted by: Michael North
Among the books in Thomas Jefferson's Library that Congress purchased in 1815 was a copy of William Cheselden's The Anatomy of the Human Body, and Jefferson's annotations show that he studied the text carefully, connecting it to his study of ancient literature and history.
Posted in: American History, History of Science, Provenance
Printing the Declaration of Independence
Posted by: Michael North
The Library of Congress owns two copies of the first printing of the Declaration of Independence, also known as the Dunlap Broadside, printed in Philadelphia on the evening of July 4 and the early morning of July 5, 1776. One copy was George Washington's, and the other came to the Library from collector Peter Force.
Posted in: 18th Century, 19th Century, American History, Seasonal