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Posted by: Erin Allen
On Dec. 22, 1864, William T. Sherman sent President Abraham Lincoln a telegram that included a pretty monumental “gift,” according to the Civil War general. “I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the City of Savannah with 150 heavy guns & plenty of ammunition & also about 25.000 bales of cotton. W. T. …
Posted in: Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, Collections, History, Manuscripts, Uncategorized
Posted by: Erin Allen
Twinkling lights, multicolored ornaments, sparkly tinsel, hanging candy canes – trimming the Christmas tree is a tradition of the holiday season, for those that celebrate. At 7 Hawthorn Street in Dayton, Ohio, the Wright Brothers decorated their tree with popcorn garland, candles, paper angles angels, sparkly ornaments and a star topper. In this picture, ca. 1900, …
Posted in: Collections, History, Manuscripts, Photos
Posted by: Erin Allen
Happy holidays from the Library of Congress! With more than 155 million items in its collections, it’s no surprise that the institution could really celebrate the season all year, highlighting a variety of holiday-related items. We’ll deck the halls for the next several days featuring historical holdings from the nation’s library. While this card,ca. 1935, …
Posted in: Collections, Manuscripts
Posted by: Erin Allen
On Dec. 16, 1773, a group of Bostonians dressed as Mohawk Indians boarded ships docked in Boston Harbor and dumped some 340 chests of tea into the water. Today marks the 240th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. “A number of brave & resolute men, determined to do all in their power to save their …
Posted in: Collections, Education, Events, History, Manuscripts, Maps, Today in History, Uncategorized
Posted by: Erin Allen
The Library of Congress has the largest collection of Hispanic materials in the world, including rare items of Mexican origin. Next Thursday and Friday, the institution is hosting a special “Celebration of Mexico” to take a look at some of these items and to also honor Hispanic and Mexican heritage. As part of the celebration, several of …
Posted in: Audiovisual, Collections, Events, History, Manuscripts, Uncategorized
Posted by: Erin Allen
Earlier this month, a few news outlets ran a story about a rare document signed by George Washington up for auction at Christie’s. According to a Christie’s spokesperson, the item in question had the potential to fetch $8 to $12 million, potentially setting a record for the most expensive American manuscript ever sold at auction. …
Posted in: Collections, History, Manuscripts
Posted by: Erin Allen
The Library of Congress has one of the most extensive preservation programs for library materials in the world. Each year the Library’s preservation staff provides preservation treatment for countless objects in its collection of more than 155 million items. The Conservation Division cares for the Library’s special collections, including rare books and manuscripts, works of …
Posted in: Collections, Manuscripts, Preservation
Posted by: Erin Allen
On Nov. 19, 1862 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the cemetery at the Civil War battlefield. One of the most famous speeches in American history, the speech is recognized as a literary masterpiece. In three short paragraphs—some 270 words—Lincoln proclaimed the principles upon which the nation was founded, honored …
Posted in: Abraham Lincoln, Audiovisual, Civil War, Education, Events, Exhibitions, History, Manuscripts, Thomas Jefferson Building, Today in History, Washington DC
Posted by: Erin Allen
(The following is a guest post by Kaydee McCann, humanities editor for the “Handbook of Latin American Studies” and reference librarian in the Hispanic Division.) Historian Natalia Silva Prada is a visiting researcher in the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress. Supported by a fellowship from Goya Foods, she spent two months preparing an annotated bibliography …
Posted in: Books, Collections, Folksonomies, Manuscripts, Researcher Stories, Uncategorized