Today we celebrate National Silent Movie Day by opening the treasure chest and sharing some of the resources that the Library of Congress offers to research and expand your interest in these classic and iconic motion pictures. The American silent feature film era lasted from 1912 to 1929 with nearly 11,000 feature films produced, but …
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BOSS! In honor of Bruce Springsteen’s birthday today, author Tyler Hayes pays tribute to Springsteen’s legendary album “Born to Run,” added to the National Registry in 2003. Two albums into his career, Bruce Springsteen’s music trajectory was not set to contain notoriety. He was on a path that would soon see …
The Library of Congress is very saddened to hear of the passing of Sarah Dash, powerhouse vocalist, true diva and onetime member of the group Labelle. Earlier this year, after Labelle’s legendary “Lady Marmalade” was added to the Library’s National Recording Registry, the LC spoke with Ms. Dash about her remarkable hit and career. Our …
IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE RECORDINGS FOR THE 2021 NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY The Library of Congress invites you to submit your recommendations for the 2021 National Recording Registry. Every year, the Librarian of Congress, with advice from the National Recording Preservation Board, annually selects 25 titles/works that are deemed “culturally, historically or …
Today, on the anniversary of Booker T. Washington’s historic Atlantic speech, we look back at the recording Washington made of it in 1908, so that his words would not be lost to history. Professor Jacqueline M. Moore does the honors for the recording added to the National Registry in 2002. Booker T. Washington’s 1895 Address …
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, author Joe Nick Patoski examines the legacy of Selena and her groundbreaking second studio album “Ven Conmigo.” This essay reflects not only her music, but Selena’s short-lived iconic status that often compared her to Gloria Estefan, Madonna, and other legendary female entertainers. By the age of 22, Selena was …
One of our very earliest Now See Hear! posts was about our wonderful collection of the copyright descriptions that accompanied films submitted for registration starting in 1912. At the very end we noted “several years ago we digitized many hundreds of the microfilm reels onto which the descriptions were originally transferred, and we’re looking for …
Sixty-two years ago today, a group of talented singers gathered in Fyffe, Alabama, to recording a remarkable, one of a kind album utilizing “shape-note singing.” The Library’s own Matt Barton examines the resulting recording that was named to the Library’s National Registry in 2010. “If you don’t like it [Sacred Harp singing] you had better …
NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE FILMS FOR THE 2021 NATIONAL FILM REGISTRY DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 The Library of Congress invites you to submit your recommendations for the 2021 National Film Registry. Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, the Librarian of Congress, with advice from the National …
