After dropping L off at Union Station to catch her train, we nearly ran to the Library of Congress to get in line in time for our ticketed entry…which we didn’t have to do on our first visit.
On that first visit with my kids while on vacation from Texas, we flew through right before they closed, but the Thomas Jefferson Library had already closed for the day. =(
THOMAS JEFFERSON LIBRARY
This time my goal was to see everything…especially the Thomas Jefferson Library!
Initially formed in 1800, the Library of Congress was then housed within the US Capitol, with a collection of over 3000 volumes by the War of 1812.
When the British burned much of the nation’s capital on August 24, 1814, including the US Capitol, the library’s collection was destroyed.
In response, Thomas Jefferson sold his own book collection of over 6000 volumes to Congress.
I do not know that it contains any branch of science which Congress would wish to exclude from this collection . . . there is in fact no subject to which a member of Congress may not have occasion to refer. –Thomas Jefferson
After Congress approved the idea, Jefferson set forth to: arrange and number all the books according as they stand in the catalogue. –Thomas Jefferson
Although most categorized their books alphabetically, Jefferson catalogued his by subject, although practically they sat in his bookcase by size.
Based upon the leatherbound books measurement’s, (due to the way books were printed in the day), Congress paid Jefferson $23,950.
…an interesting treasure is added to your city, now become the depository of unquestionably the choicest collection of books in the US, and I hope it will not be without some general effect on the literature of our country. –Thomas Jefferson
Another fire in 1851 burned two-thirds of those books.
Through a generous grant from Jerry and Gene Jones, the Library of Congress is attempting to reassemble Jefferson’s library as it was sold to Congress. –Library of Congress
BUILDING THE THOMAS JEFFERSON BUILDING
After the 1851 fire, money was appropriated to replace destroyed books but not to acquire new ones.
For the next forty years, the library remained simply focused on books limited to the direct needs of the Congressmen.
By the Gilded Age, two events brought forth this new building: an increasingly growing country, and therefore more Congressmen with varied interests, and the new copyright law of 1870.
Due to the requirement that all copyright applicants send two copies of their work to the Library of Congress, a flood of printed material and photography flooded Capitol Hill.
The secretary of the Library of Congress, Ainsworth Rand Spofford, encouraged Congress to approve a national library in a separate building of grand significance…appropriate to the Gilded Age.
Built in the popular Breaux Arts Style of the time, and to be fireproof, the Library of Congress (Jefferson Building) opened in 1897 to wide acclaim.
BREAUX ARTS STYLE
Touring the rest of the second floor after visiting the Thomas Jefferson Library, we were near enough to the ceiling to read all the quotes related to books.
MAIN READING ROOM
In the center of this grand space, we accessed the viewing area of the Main Reading Room…
…then we walked downstairs to view the Main Reading Room at the First Floor level. We’ve got to get library cards! More on that in a bit…
GUTENBERG BIBLE
From there we viewed the 1455 Gutenberg Bible, printed on velum.
With the invention of Johann Gutenberg’s printing press, he significantly exceeded the production time of scribe’s who painstakingly handwrote print.
As a result, many more printing presses across Europe were built, exploding the book market with millions of copies which encouraged the spread of literacy and knowledge.
SECRETARY’S OFFICE
Around the corner was the secretary’s grand office…
WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON
While a Houdon bust of George Washington across the way gazes in this direction…
Looking at Washington’s view as I now stand next to his bust, I see the Houdon bust of Thomas Jefferson gazing back towards Washington.
US CAPITOL
After souvenir shopping, we left for lunch.
Situated across the street from the Capitol and down the street from the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress is convenient to both.
Interestingly there used to be a book tunnel under the street, between the Library of Congress and the Capitol that electrically transported books from one to the other at a rate of 600 feet per minute.
When the underground Capitol Visitor Center was constructed, the book tunnel was destroyed.
LUNCH
We enjoyed lunch a short walk from here, at Bullfeathers on the Hill.
LIBRARY CARD
Then we walked to the James Madison Building to obtain our library card for…the Library of Congress!
