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Archive: May 2015 (12 Posts)

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

First Among Many

Posted by: Erin Allen

The printing press that helped spread world-changing ideas of revolution, liberty and self-governance through early America grew from a humble beginning: a small, error-filled book of religious devotion, produced by a locksmith for settlers forging a home in the North American wilderness. A new Library of Congress exhibition explores early printing in the American colonies, …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Page From the Past: A Show About Nothing

Posted by: Erin Allen

When “The Seinfeld Chronicles” first aired on NBC on July 5, 1989, no one could have predicted that the “show about nothing” would become a cultural phenomenon. Inspired by real-life people and events, the show followed the life of a stand-up comedian and his friends. The pilot episode (pictured left), written by show creators Jerry …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Pics of the Week: Auntie Rosa Remembered

Posted by: Erin Allen

Rosa Parks is known as a pioneer of the civil rights movement, a heroine for her courage of convictions. Yet, few knew the other side of her life – one spent as a devoted mother figure to her nieces and nephews. One such niece, Sheila McCauley Keys, was at the Library last week to remember …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Trending: Superheroes on Screen

Posted by: Erin Allen

Superheroes continue to captivate audiences nearly a century after their film debut. America loves its superheroes (and villains). These beloved and delightfully despised characters continue to take center stage at the movies and on television. “The Mark of Zorro” (United Artists, 1920), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks, was among the 10 motion pictures featuring …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Pics of the Week: We Write the Songs

Posted by: Erin Allen

Last week, the Library hosted the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Foundation for its annual “We Write the Songs” concert, featuring the songwriters performing and telling the stories behind their own music. Taking the stage to perform some of their most notable music were Ne-Yo, Natalie Merchant (also formerly of 10,000 Maniacs), Donald Fagan …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Have Exhibit, Will Travel

Posted by: Erin Allen

True or false? Visiting Washington, D.C. is the only way to enjoy the collections of the Library of Congress. False. The Library offers a rich treasure trove of its collections. Not only that, it loans items to other institutions and agencies for their exhibitions, as well as offers other institutions and cultural organizations the opportunity to …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Collecting Comedy

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is an article from the May/June 2015 issue of the Library of Congress Magazine, LCM. Daniel Blazek, a recorded sound technician at the Library’s Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Preservation, wrote the story. You can read the issue in its entirety here.) Laughter, with its links to the development of the human brain, no doubt …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

What’s Your Sign?

Posted by: Erin Allen

For fun, members of my roller derby team figured out their astrological atlas, I suppose as a way to see how compatible each of us are and to understand our personality types for the purpose of working and competing together. The atlas is essentially a breakdown of your zodiac sign, including your rising sign, moon …