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Category: European Reading Room

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The Three Musketeers and d’Artagnan Ride into the Public Domain—Again!

Posted by: Taru Spiegel

This year, a large number of well-known works entered the public domain, thanks to changes in copyright law over time. One of these books is a popular edition of “The Three Musketeers,” written by Alexandre Dumas (1802-70), translated into English by Philip Schuyler Allen (1871-1937), and illustrated by the well-known artist, Milo Winter (1888-1956). Earlier …

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Albania’s National Hero, Scanderbeg: A Legendary Military Strategist

Posted by: Taru Spiegel

(The following is a post by Grant G. Harris, chief, and Taru Spiegel, reference specialist, European Division. Based on papers presented by Grant G. Harris in 2018.) As the Ottoman Empire expanded into Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries, the religious differences between the Islamic Ottomans and the Christian Europeans, and shifting political alliances, made for …

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Alternative Public Forums for Italian Women Authors and Readers at the Turn of the 19th Century

Posted by: Taru Spiegel

(The following is a post by Lucia Wolf, reference librarian for Italy, European Division.) Although Italy has a long history of celebrated female authors, women’s writing in that country really began to flourish in the 19th century, thanks to the proliferation of journals that provided public forums for women to express themselves. The Library of …

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Talleyrand: A Diplomat Par Excellence

Posted by: Taru Spiegel

(The following is a post by Taru Spiegel, reference specialist, European Division.) During his lifetime, and for quite some time after that, the legendary French politician and diplomat, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754-1838), was a much-discussed, controversial figure both at home and abroad. He managed to survive, and significantly influence, conflicting trends during the French Revolution …

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Italian Fashion Periodicals and Nation-building in the 19th Century

Posted by: Anchi Hoh

(The following is a post by Lucia Wolf, reference librarian for Italy, European Division.) Bella figura in Italian literally means “beautiful appearance.” The term is used worldwide to define the essence of Italian style, and refers to Italians’ ability to infuse their daily lives with style and beauty, combined with their natural sense of pleasure …

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Labor and Constancy: Christophe Plantin, Printer Extraordinaire

Posted by: Anchi Hoh

(The following is a post by Taru Spiegel, reference specialist, European Division.) Today’s readers owe a debt of gratitude to the early European printers whose efforts made reading materials increasingly available, and thus furthered the spread of literacy and learning. Johann Gutenberg (d. 1468) is the best known of those printers because of his innovative …

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4 Corners: International Collections Program Calendar, 11/30/2018

Posted by: Anchi Hoh

Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 (Voice/TTY) or email [email protected]. Directions Floor Plans Tuesday, December 11, 2018, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Research Orientation: European Reading Room A tour of the European Reading Room, and an orientation to the Library’s European collections, is being offered on Tuesday, October 30th from 10:30 …

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The Incredible Story of “Pan Tadeusz”

Posted by: Anchi Hoh

(The following is a post by Regina Frackowiak, reference specialist, European Division.) This year, Poland celebrates the 100th anniversary of regaining its independence. From 1795 to 1918, Poland ceased to exist, having been partitioned between Austria-Hungary, Prussia, and Russia. Poland returned to the map of Europe in 1918 as a result of post-World War I agreements. …

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Jamais Plus! French Translations and Illustrations of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”

Posted by: Anchi Hoh

(The following is a post by Kitty Bell, Intern, European Division.) Published in 1845, American writer and literary critic Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “The Raven,” soon found its way into the literary life of France. The author Alexandre Dumas (1802-70) even claimed in a letter that Poe (1809-49) had been to France for a brief stay. …