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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

Library in the News: June 2015 Edition

Posted by: Erin Allen

  In June, the Library of Congress issued two major announcements that made headlines nationwide: the appointment of a new Poet Laureate and the retirement of the current Librarian of Congress. After nearly three decades of service, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced his retirement effective January 2016. Speaker of the House John Boehner, Democrat …

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

Rare Book of the Month: Redouté’s Royal Roses

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is a guest blog post written by Elizabeth Gettins, Library of Congress digital library specialist.) When Pierre-Joseph Redouté put together his three-installment publication (1817-1824) “Les Roses” in Paris, he created a thing of great beauty as well as a scientific compendium on the botany of roses. Commissioned by the Empress Josephine, this work …

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

Letters About Literature: Dear Wendelin Van Draanen

Posted by: Erin Allen

Letters About Literature, a national reading and writing program that asks young people in grades 4 through 12 to write to an author (living or deceased) about how his or her book affected their lives, announced its 2015 winners today. More than 50,000 young readers from across the country participated in this year’s initiative funded by …

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

Under the Boardwalk

Posted by: Erin Allen

The travel and tourism industry owes itself to many historical “firsts.” In 1782, Scottish engineer James Watt invented the first steam engine able to turn wheels. On May 10, 1869, the completion of the first transcontinental railroad was commemorated with the driving of a “golden spike.” In 1794, the City Hotel opened in New York …

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

The Hero of Two Worlds

Posted by: Erin Allen

  The “hero of two worlds” – as the Marquis de Lafayette has been called – has recently been in the news. A replica of the 18th century French frigate that ferried him to America on his most important mission has been making the rounds of the East Coast, on a journey to commemorate the …

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

Celebrating Juneteenth

Posted by: Erin Allen

Editor’s note: This blog has been updated to remove an exterior website as a source of confusing information. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Major Gen. Gordon Granger led Union soldiers into Galveston, Texas, with …

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

The Battle of Waterloo

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is a guest post from Taru Spiegel, reference specialist in the Library’s European Division.) Today marks the 200th anniversary of the history-changing Battle of Waterloo in 1815. This engagement ended in the conclusive defeat of Napoleon and his French generals and was a costly victory for the Anglo-Dutch, Belgian and German forces. The …

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

Inquiring Minds: Music Scholar Uncovers Forgotten Songs from “My Fair Lady”

Posted by: Erin Allen

The musical “My Fair Lady,” based on George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” has been praised as the “perfect musical” and is filled with some of the most recognized songs in American musical theater. The hit show opened on Broadway in 1956 and starred Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle and Rex Harrison as Professor Henry Higgins. Harrison …

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

Book Festival Blogging

Posted by: Erin Allen

Calling all readers, the new Library of Congress National Book Festival blog launched this week! It’s one of the many ways that we will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of the nation’s premier celebration of books and reading. This year’s festival will take place during Labor Day weekend on Saturday, September 5, 2015, at the Walter …