Fans of art nouveau design may be surprised to learn that the Prints & Photographs Division has more than a dozen striking images by the man widely credited as the originator of the style -- Czech artist Alphonse Mucha -- in the collections. See some examples in this blog post.
Last year photographer Edwin Martin generously placed 138 of his photographs of traveling circuses in the care of the Library of Congress. An extraordinary record of a challenging way of life, the collection is a testament to the hard work and dedication of circus members who, for over 200 years, have brought joy to the American people. In honor of World Circus Day (April 19th), we are sharing excerpts from a recent interview with Martin about his experiences.