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Posted by: Neely Tucker
Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" created a stir when it was published in 1952 and is still regarded as a masterpiece of American literature. Here, you can see some of his edits to the famous opening lines. The Library preserves Ellison's papers, including manuscript copies and drafts of the novel.
Posted in: African American History, Books, LCM, Manuscripts, Writers
Posted by: Neely Tucker
When there’s a statue of your dad on Capitol Hill, it’s probably inevitable that you think about things like history and legacy and preservation, so Rosanne Cash was particularly moved when one of her albums was inducted into the National Recording Registry a few days ago. The singer-songwriter daughter of Johnny Cash — the musician …
Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted by: Neely Tucker
The Library observes both Jewish American Heritage Month and the nation's approaching 250th birthday this year by focusing on a little-remembered aspect of the Revolution: the Jewish merchants in the tiny Caribbean island of St. Eustatius who shipped in supplies to American troops around the British blockade. The Dutch-controlled shipping outpost, just 8 square miles, was the first foreign entity to recognize the newly founded United States after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Posted in: America 250, American Revolution, George Washington, Jewish American History, Manuscripts
Posted by: Brett Zongker
The 2026 National Recording Registry inductees were announced today, bringing everything from Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It),” Weezer’s self-titled debut “Weezer (The Blue Album),” José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” and 22 other recordings into the Library’s catalogue that preserves the nation’s sound heritage. Also included: songs by Taylor Swift, The Go-Go's, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Pérez Prado, Ray Charles and Rosanne Cash.
Posted in: Library Work and Employees, Music, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, National Recording Registry, Performing Arts, Songwriters
Posted by: Neely Tucker
The Library’s Benjamin K. Edwards collection features some 2,100 baseball cards from 1887 to 1914 and are part of the Library’s Free to Use and Reuse sets of copyright-free images that you can use any way you’d like. The cards include future Hall of Famers, such as Christy Mathewson and John M. Ward, and the not so famous, such as the hard-partying Mike Mattimore.
Posted in: Baseball, Free to Use and Reuse, Rare Book and Special Collections
Posted by: Neely Tucker
The Library's 16-year-long project to complete the high-resolution digitization of all 175,000 images in the historic Farm Security Administration files is nearing its end. Fewer than 15,000 negatives remain to be scanned and uploaded to the Library's website. Created to support President Roosevelt's New Deal social programs between 1935-1944, the documentary photographs have become some of the most iconic images of American life. The work to digitize those deteriorating negatives has been a slow, patient process that involves careful attention to each image, looking for specs of dust, scratches and other flaws.
Posted in: Library Work and Employees, Photos, Preservation and Conservation, Prints and Photographs Division
Posted by: Brett Zongker
The Library invites you to join "It's Your Story," our ongoing celebration of the nation's 250th birthday this year. It's anchored by a new exhibition called “The Declaration’s Promise,” which opens on July 3, just before the Fourth of July official birthday.
Posted in: Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, American Folklife Center, American Revolution, By the People, Events, Exhibitions, Fashion and Design, George Washington, LCM, Rare Book and Special Collections, Thomas Jefferson