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Posted by: Mark Hartsell
Jerry Lewis sat alone in the spotlight, reflecting on his career and on the passage of the years – for both him and the fans who filled the historic State Theatre. “At the time that I began, which was some time ago, I was playing to this audience,” the 89-year-old Lewis said. “This audience who …
Posted in: Audiovisual, Collections, Events, Film, Video, Washington DC
Posted by: Jennifer Gavin
The beloved Yankees catcher and phrase-mangler Yogi Berra is with us no more. The man who famously said “You can observe a lot by watching” amused us a lot, by speaking. And, as an 18-time All-Star who played on 10 championship World Series teams, won three MVP awards, hit 358 home runs and held the …
Posted in: Audiovisual, Baseball, Collections, Film, History, Video
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 …
Posted in: Collections, Film, History, Photos, Video
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 …
Posted in: Audiovisual, Books, Collections, Events, History, Today in History, Video
Posted by: Erin Allen
Superheroes continue to captivate audiences nearly a century after their film debut. America loves its superheroes (and villains). These beloved and delightfully despised characters continue to take center stage at the movies and on television. “The Mark of Zorro” (United Artists, 1920), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks, was among the 10 motion pictures featuring …
Posted in: Audiovisual, Collections, Film, Video
Posted by: Erin Allen
(The following is an article from the May/June 2015 issue of the Library of Congress Magazine, LCM. Daniel Blazek, a recorded sound technician at the Library’s Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Preservation, wrote the story. You can read the issue in its entirety here.) Laughter, with its links to the development of the human brain, no doubt …
Posted in: Audiovisual, Collections, Film, Jewish American History, Manuscripts, Music, Photos, Video
Posted by: Erin Allen
(The following is a guest post by Karen Keninger, director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.) There are times when a “best-kept secret” is exactly what you want. But not when it comes to one of the most highly valued services provided through the Library of Congress – namely the …
Posted in: Libraries, Technology, Video
Posted by: Erin Allen
Walking into the Chicago office of Allan Pinkerton’s detective agency one afternoon in 1856 was a woman of medium height, “slender, graceful in her movements, and perfectly self-possessed in her manner.” Claiming to be a widow, aged 23, Kate Warne was looking for a job, and not as a secretary. One could imagine Pinkerton’s surprise …
Posted in: Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, Collections, Events, History, Manuscripts, News, Newspapers, Video, Washington DC