Check out a new program that investigates the architecture of and treasures inside the Library of Congress that premieres tonight on C-SPAN at 8:00 p.m. ET (it re-broadcasts at 11:00 p.m.). You can even view a clip of the documentary as well as an extra interview with Librarian of Congress Dr. James Billington here! If you catch the program tonight or even just sneak a peak at the documentary online, you’ll take a tour of The Great Hall, in my opinion the most beautiful building in Washington, DC. The architecture and interior design are monuments to knowledge and learning, as you will discover, and music is not excluded from the areas of learning valued by our forefathers.
I could pick out various Pics of the Week to highlight music’s presence in the Jefferson Building’s design – the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog has some great shots, including views of The Great Hall’s Poetry mosaic (surrounded by Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, and Music plaques) and the statue of Beethoven that watches over our staff and researchers in the Main Reading Room. But for this week’s Pics of the Week, I strolled over to the Jefferson Building myself to marvel at The Great Hall’s magnificence and snapped some shots of the beautiful staircase adorned with “putti” (cherubs in Italian art) representing various occupations and academic pursuits of the American people. Today’s Pics of the Week capture one of those exquisite staircases, and the close-up features our musician cherub! If you look closely, you can see his lyre behind him as he studies a score.
Be sure to tune into C-SPAN tonight for a fascinating look into the largest library in the world!