(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 …
(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 …
(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 …
(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 …
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 …
(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. …
(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. …
(The following is a post by Lucia Wolf, reference librarian for Italy, European Division.) In 2016, the Library of Congress acquired an Italian manuscript recipe book entitled “Zia Annita” (Aunt Annita), composed between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in Lombardy. This booklet is but a recent addition to the Library’s notable collection of …
(The following is a post by Taru Spiegel, reference specialist, European Division.) Inspired by the glamorous wedding earlier this year of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, we researched some other famous European royal couples featured in our collections. The Library of Congress holds a large amount of material on current and …
