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Category: Library History

Detail of the illuminations in the Giant Bible of Mainz.

A Little Note About A Giant Bible

Posted by: Marianna Stell

Happy Giant Bible Day! On April 4, 1952, philanthropist and bibliophile, Lessing J. Rosenwald (1891-1979) donated the Giant Bible of Mainz to the Library of Congress. He made this gift exactly five hundred years after the manuscript’s scribe first put quill to parchment. In keeping with Rosenwald's commitment to encouraging broad cultural engagement with the history of the illustrated book, the Library’s digitization allows book lovers near and far to encounter every page of this important and evocative manuscript.

Posted in: 15th Century, History of the Book, Illuminated Manuscript, Illustrated Book, Library History, Provenance

Red Library of Congress binding on a book from the Smithsonian Deposit. Rare Book and Special Collections Division.

Binding Two National Libraries: Rare Books from the Smithsonian

Posted by: Marianna Stell

In 1866, the Smithsonian physically transferred its library of over 40,000 works to the Library of Congress. A notable event in the history of both information institutions, the Smithsonian Deposit included a range of materials which today are dispersed throughout the Library’s divisions. Among them are some unexpected and intriguing materials in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division.

Posted in: 19th Century, 20th Century, American History, Library History, Provenance