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By: Amanda Zimmerman
Among many fascinating books related to the Civil War, the Library of Congress also holds a demurely-bound, water-damaged volume inscribed by its author. This volume, the autobiography of Confederate spy and Maryland native Rose O'Neal Greenhow (1815-1864), documents her exploits as a persistent thorn in the side of President Abraham Lincoln and the Union cause.
Posted in: Bibliomania
By: Amelia Raines
This is a guest post by Abraham Kaleo Parrish, Geospatial Data Visualization Librarian in the Geography and Map Division. In 1528 Venetian cartographer, miniaturist, and editor Benedetto Bordone published Libro di Benedetto Bordone : nel qual si ragiona de tutte l’isole del mondo, con li lor nomi antichi & moderni, historie, fauole, & modi del …
Posted in: Worlds Revealed
By: Marianna Stell
Monica Varner, Collections Manager in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, dives into the provenance of an American imprint from 1705.
Posted in: Bibliomania
By: Amanda Zimmerman
In the early 1860s amidst growing unrest between the North and South, American humorist, journalist and political commentator David Ross Locke (1833 - 1888) debuted a character that would be popular with abolitionists for years to come - and with Abraham Lincoln in particular.
Posted in: Bibliomania
By: Amelia Raines
The story of the naming of America has been told before – not surprisingly considering the object central to the story, Martin Waldseemüller’s 1507 world map, is one of the most important treasures in the Geography and Map Division. The name was bestowed by the mapmaker to show his support for Amerigo Vespucci’s argument that …
Posted in: Worlds Revealed
By: Marianna Stell
The Library of Congress has two copies of the first edition of the Book of Mormon in addition to other foundational texts from the Church of the Latter-day Saints. This post discusses the institutional history of these copies and provides information about their material condition and how to gain digital access to the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and Book of Commandments.
Posted in: Bibliomania
By: Marianna Stell
The publication of the Aitken Bible, the first complete Bible published in an independent America, was a landmark moment in the book history of the United States. This blog post provides information about former owners of the copy that is now housed in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division at the Library of Congress.
Posted in: Bibliomania
By: Michael North
The Library of Congress owns two copies of the first printing of the Declaration of Independence, also known as the Dunlap Broadside, printed in Philadelphia on the evening of July 4 and the early morning of July 5, 1776. One copy was George Washington's, and the other came to the Library from collector Peter Force.
Posted in: Bibliomania
By: Amelia Raines
A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity, thanks to generous funding from the Philip Lee Phillips Society and the Library of Congress Professional Association, to attend the Material Foundations of Map History, 1450-1900, course held by the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. The course was taught by Matthew Edney, Osher …
Posted in: Worlds Revealed
By: Meagan Snow
Many have debated whether the Amazon or Nile is the world's longest river. This blog post explores a time period in American history in which there was another contender: the Missouri River.
Posted in: Worlds Revealed