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Posted by: Neely Tucker
We first ran this piece last year at Halloween. It proved so popular year-round that we reprint it this Halloween season. It was co-researched and co-written by digital library specialist Elizabeth Gettins, who also had the brilliant idea for the piece. An ancient tome delving into the dark arts of witchcraft and magic…a book …
Posted in: Books, Halloween, Rare Book and Special Collections, Shakespeare
Posted by: Neely Tucker
The Library has a pair of the 15th century's most influential books on the alleged practices of witchcraft, both from the era when alleged witches were tortured and killed.
Posted in: Halloween, Rare Book and Special Collections
Posted by: Neely Tucker
Reginald Scot's 1584 book, "The Discoverie of Witchcraft" is one of the most influential books on magic ever published. The Library of Congress has a first edition.
Posted in: Books, Rare Book and Special Collections, Shakespeare
Posted by: Wendi Maloney
Nathan Dorn is the curator of the rare books collection at the Law Library of Congress. He builds the Library's holdings of centuries of legal texts from many nations, including early methods of legal procedures to unusual subjects such as witchcraft and miracles.
Posted in: Curators, Law Library, LCM, Library Work and Employees, Rare Book and Special Collections
Posted by: Neely Tucker
The earliest known English-language work on magic was published in England in 1635, containing how-tos for many tricks, including an on-stage decapitation. It's the forerunner of the "saw the assistant in half" trick, performed for ages. The Library's copy of this influential book comes from the library of Harry Houdini, the master magician and escape artist of the early 20th century, who donated his collection to the Library.
Posted in: Performing Arts, Rare Book and Special Collections
Posted by: Neely Tucker
The Library's newest crowdsourcing campaign are the vast notebooks of Frederick Hockley, a 19th century British Spiritualist who believed he could communicate with the dead.
Posted in: By the People, Manuscripts, Rare Book and Special Collections
Posted by: Erin Allen
November is National Novel Writing Month. Perhaps you’ve heard of, or even signed up for, the NaNoWriMo movement. Encouraging individuals to write and complete a 50,000-word novel from November 1-30, the nonprofit movement provides support, inspiration and community for budding writers to pick up that pen or open that laptop. To date, more than 9 …
Posted in: Books, Collections, Exhibitions, Manuscripts, National Book Festival
Posted by: Erin Allen
(The following is a guest blog post written by Elizabeth Gettins, Library of Congress digital library specialist.) Agrippa Von Nettesheim. Now that is a name with heft! This mouthful of a name is attached to a very interesting thinker who might be a good candidate for “father of Halloween.” He would fit right in with …
Posted in: Books, Collections, Rare Book of the Month