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Posted by: Patrick Hastings
Many of the images and traditions currently associated with Santa Claus can be traced back to books, broadsides, and cards printed in the early 1800s.
Posted in: 19th Century, American History, Children's Literature, Dutch History, Education, Illustrated Book, Literature, Poetry, Seasonal
Posted by: Ashley Rose Young
During the pandemic, I dabbled in birding, and ever since, I’ve noticed more and more references to birds across cultural media—from literature to music. With the holiday season fully in swing, I’ve heard “The Twelve Days of Christmas” echoing through stores bedecked with evergreen garlands and festooned with sparkling ornaments. Until this year, though, I …
Posted in: 19th Century, American History, History of Science, Seasonal, Zoology
Posted by: Patrick Hastings
On Thanksgiving Day in 1876, Princeton met Yale in Hoboken, NJ for the first football game played under the new rules agreed by the Intercollegiate Football Association. As innovations in the rules gradually shaped a distinctly American game, the tradition of playing and watching football on Thanksgiving spread across the United States.
Posted in: 19th Century, American History, Seasonal, Sports and Games
Posted by: Patrick Hastings
As a young man, Isaiah Thomas printed and published a Boston newspaper that stoked the fires of Revolution. After the war, Thomas enjoyed a consequential career in printing, illustrating, publishing, papermaking, bookselling, collecting, and historical writing.
Posted in: 18th Century, 19th Century, American History, Children's Literature, Education History, Famous Printers, Illustrated Book, Publishing, Uncategorized
Posted by: Patrick Hastings
As our nation prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the Library of Congress is producing a series of short films that present items from our collections related to American history and culture. Check out the latest films in the series!
Posted in: 18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, American History, Children's Literature, Education Outreach, History of the Book, Literature, Sports and Games, Thomas Jefferson, Women in Book History, Women's Stories
Posted by: Patrick Hastings
As we prepare to celebrate the United States' 250th birthday on July 4, 2026, the Rare Book and Special Collections Division is producing a series of short films that highlight items related to American history and culture with particular focus on the Founding era.
Posted in: 17th Century, 18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, African American Poetry, American History, Children's Literature, Classics, Education, Education History, Education Outreach, Literature, Women's Stories
Posted by: Patrick Hastings
As the Library begins a year-long run-up to the 250-year anniversary of the founding of the United States on July 4, 1776, the Rare Book Division will co-host an event with the Manuscript Division on July 17 to explore the history of the Declaration of Independence and its illustrated reproductions. This "Made at the Library" event will feature Dr. John Bidwell's discussion of his recent book, "The Declaration in Print and Script: A Visual History of America's Founding Document."
Posted in: 18th Century, 19th Century, American History, Education Outreach, News and Events
Posted by: Patrick Hastings
Because the game of baseball emerged and developed concurrent to the rise of cheap, mass-produced reading material, the Library has many printed artifacts from the mid-1800s that document the evolution and popularization of America's favorite pastime.
Posted in: 19th Century, Sports and Games, Uncategorized
Posted by: Amanda Zimmerman
100 years after the events of the Boston Tea Party, two wealthy septuagenarian sisters from Glastonbury, CT found themselves fighting against taxation without representation. The curious case involves the seizure and auctioning of their pet cows, including two calves named Martha Washington and Abigail Adams.
Posted in: 19th Century, American History, Women in Book History, Women's Stories