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Archive: 2015 (136 Posts)

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

Here Comes the Sun: Seeing Omens in the Weather at Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inauguration

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is a guest post by Michelle Krowl, Civil War and Reconstruction Specialist in the Manuscript Division. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, for a limited time [March 4-7, 2015] the Library of Congress will display both the four-page manuscript copy and the reading copy of the address in the Great Hall …

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

The Faces of Engineering

Posted by: Erin Allen

Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers, Engineers Week (Feb. 22-28, 2015) aims to raise public awareness of the contributions to society of the profession. The celebration is typically held in conjunction with George Washington’s actual birthday (February 22). Washington could be considering one of the nation’s earliest engineers, particularly for his work in …

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

An Architectural Marvel 40 Years in the Making

Posted by: Erin Allen

The Washington Monument is probably one of the most recognizable structures in all of D.C. At 555 feet, the Egyptian obelisk can be seen from miles away. A particularly picturesque vantage point is looking at the monument through the cherry blossom trees along the tidal basin. Built to honor President George Washington, the Washington National …

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

A Sense of Purpose: Organizing the Rosa Parks Collection

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is a guest post written by Meg McAleer, senior archives specialist in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division.) Archivists have wonderful jobs. Four colleagues – Kimberly Owens, Tammi Taylor, Tracey Barton and Sherralyn McCoy – and I shared nods of understanding, delight and awe often during the last two months of 2014 as …

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

Library in the News: January 2015 Edition

Posted by: Erin Allen

More than 112,000 patrons visited the Library of Congress exhibition “Magna Carta: Muse and Mentor”  during its brief 10-week viewing, which ended Jan. 19. “Much has been written about Magna Carta’s current visit to America, particularly in relation to the inchoate liberties it birthed. Rightly so,” wrote Kevin R. Kosar for The Weekly Standard. “The …

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

Pinteresting African American History

Posted by: Erin Allen

February is African American History Month, an annual celebration that has existed since 1926. This year’s theme, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) is “A Century of Black Life, History and Culture.” This year also marks the centennial of ASALH, which was established in 1915 by Carter G. …

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

Alan Lomax’s Legacy

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is a story written by Stephen Winick, folklorist and writer-editor in the American Folklife Center, for the January/February 2015 issue of the Library of Congress Magazine, LCM. The issue can be read in its entirety here.) A century after his birth, folklorist Alan Lomax is remembered for his preservation of the nation’s cultural …