A Renaissance Globemaker's Toolbox: Johannes Schöner and the Revolution of Modern Science, 1474-1550
By John Hessler
Publication date: March 2013
This new volume is the first scholarly publication of the Schoner Sammelbund, a collection of maps and notes made by the Nuremberg astronomer and mathematician Johannes Schöner (d. 1543). The Sammelbund--part of the collections of the Library of Congress--includes the original World Maps made by Martin Waldseemüller and a set of celestial globe gores of Schoner's design. Author John Hessler discusses Schöner's opinions on the then canonical geography of Ptolemy, and his reaction to the new discoveries of Columbus and Vespucci. The notebooks offer an unprecedented insight into the history of these materials, and into the geographical concerns that fuelled cartographic development during this critical period in the history of science and exploration. Buy now from the Library Shop
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Mary Pickford: Queen of the Movies
Edited by Christel Schmidt
In the early days of cinema, when actors were unbilled and unmentioned in credits, audiences immediately noticed Mary Pickford. Moviegoers everywhere were riveted by her magnetic talent and appeal as she rose to become cinema's first great star. In this engaging collection, an eminent group of film historians sheds new light on this icon's incredible life and legacy. This beautifully designed volume features more than two hundred color and black and white illustrations, including photographs and stills from the collections of the Library of Congress and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Buy now from the Library Shop
News and Events
Related Information
- Movie Icon Mary Pickford Subject of New Book, Book Talk and Film Tour
- Article about the book and film tour in the Lexington Herald-Leader
- Article on the Turner Classic Movies website
- Editors’ pick on Library Journal
Seeing the World Anew: the Radical Vision of Martin Waldseemüller's 1507 & 1516 World Maps
By John Hessler and Chet Van Duzer
Published in association with Levenger Press, Seeing the World Anew features two of the Library’s cartographic treasures housed in the Geography and Map Division, reproducing them in the largest full-color formats ever authorized. Two leading authorities, both of whom have published extensively on the history of cartography, tell the stories of these maps, placing them in context of both the 16th and 21st centuries. John W. Hessler, a senior cartographic librarian at the Library of Congress and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, provides the narrative for Martin Waldseemuller’s 1507 World Map, the first map to apply the name “America” to the New World. Chet Van Duzer, an Invited Research Scholar at the John Carter Brown Library and recent Kislak Fellow at the Library of Congress, provides the narrative for Waldseemuller’s 1516 Carta marina, the first printed nautical chart of the world. The 1516 map differs markedly from the earlier map, and essentially discarded the ancient map models of Ptolemy for a more modern vision. Both of these maps disappeared after they were originally published and were lost to history until their rediscovery in 1901. The Library of Congress now owns the only extant copies. The twelve sheets that comprise each map are reproduced in full color, and at 11 x 14 inches. Composites of both maps, approximately 4 feet by 2 feet long, are folded and pocketed into the book.
News and Events
- Saturday, September 22, 11am - John Hessler and Chet Van Duzer discuss Seeing the World Anew at the National Book Festival in the LC Pavilion
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- Both maps can be viewed as part of the Library’s online exhibit, Exploring the Early Americas: The Jay I. Kislak Collection in the Library of Congress
The Southern Journey of Alan Lomax: Words, Photographs, and Music
Essay by Tom Piazza, Foreword by William R. Ferris
More than fifty years ago, on a trip dubbed “the Southern Journey,” Alan Lomax visited Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Tennessee, uncovering the little-known southern backcountry and blues music that we now consider uniquely American. Lomax’s camera was a constant companion, and his images of both legendary and anonymous folk musicians complement his famous field recordings. These photographs—largely unpublished—show musicians making music with family and friends at home, with fellow worshippers at church, and alongside workers and prisoners in the fields. Discussions of Lomax’s life and career by his disciple and lauded folklorist William Ferris, and a lyrical look at Lomax’s photographs by novelist and Grammy Award-winning music writer Tom Piazza, enrich this valuable collection. Buy now from the Library Shop
Special Presentation
News and Events
- Sunday, September 23, 2012, 3pm - Todd Harvey of the American Folklife Center discusses The Southern Journey at the National Book Festival in the LC Pavilion
The Nation’s Library
The Library of Congress on Capitol Hill has been called a shrine of the world's knowledge: a renowned resource that has served Congress, other institutions and the public during its 200-year history. This celebratory guide to the Library shows the interiors of its three principal buildings the Jefferson, Adams and Madison buildings as well as representative treasures from the collections. The text describes the Library's history and the role of specific Librarians of Congress in influencing its growth. The guide also reviews current collections, activities and organization. It answers the questions most commonly asked by visitors and projects future activities, particularly those related to the growing use of computers and the internet to make the Library's storehouse of knowledge accessible to people around the world. Buy now from the Library Shop
News and Events
- Sunday, September 23, 4:20pm - Sharon Hannon and Giulia Adelfio will discuss the new edition of The Nation's Library at the National Book Festival in the LC Pavilion
The Library of Congress Illustrated Timeline of the Civil War
By Margaret E. Wagner
With striking visuals from the Library of Congress' unparalleled archive, The Library of Congress Illustrated Timeline of the Civil War is an authoritative and engaging narrative of the domestic conflict that determined the course of American history. A detailed chronological timeline of the war captures the harrowing intensity of 19th-century warfare in first-hand accounts from soldiers, nurses, and front-line journalists. Readers will be enthralled by speech drafts in Lincoln's own hand, quotes from the likes of Frederick Douglass and Robert E. Lee, and portraits of key soldiers and politicians who are not covered in standard textbooks. The Illustrated Timeline's exciting new source material and lucid organization will give Civil War enthusiasts a fresh look at this defining period in our nation's history. Buy now from the Library Shop
- Tuesday, March 12, 2013, 12 noon - Books & Beyond author talk and signing in Montpelier Room A, Madison Building, Library of Congress. Contact 202-707-1519.
Presidential Campaign Posters
Introduction by Brooke Gladstone
Here are 100 ready-to-frame political campaign posters from the annals of American history. The candidates range from Andrew Jackson (“Defender of Beauty and Booty”) and William Henry Harrison (“Have Some Hard Cider!”) to Richard Nixon (“He’s the One!”), Barack Obama (“Hope”), and many, many more. You’ll find the winners as well as the losers—some forgotten, many unforgettable—along with colorful historical commentary and fascinating related artworks featured on the back of each. Best of all, the posters are bound with clean microperforated edges for quick and easy removal, so favorites can be framed and displayed. Featuring two centuries of incredible election art, Presidential Campaign Posters is the perfect gift for political junkies of all ages. Buy now from the Library Shop
Special Presentation
News and Events
- Webcast: Books and Beyond author talk (June 19, 2012)
Related Information
- Posters: 180 Years of American Campaign Propaganda (Mother Jones)
To Know Wisdom and Instruction
By Levon Avdoyan
The Library of Congress has chosen to honor the 500-year anniversary of this milestone, and UNESCO's decision to designate Yerevan, the capital of the Republic of Armenia, as its World Book Capital 2012, with an exhibition of selections from its Armenian collections titled "'To Know Wisdom and Instruction': The Armenian Literary Tradition at the Library of Congress." That exhibition and this volume honor the Armenian literary tradition with items from the Armenian collections of the Library of Congress, which have been chosen to illustrate the varieties in the Armenian literary tradition. Buy now from the Library Shop
News and Events
- April 19, 2012 – Vardanants Day Lecture and Exhibit Opening
Related Information
- To Know Wisdom and Instruction: The Armenian Literary Tradition at the Library of Congress
- Interview with author and exhibit curator Levon Avdoyan in the Armenian Reporter
- Coverage in the Armenian Weekly
Miles To Go for Freedom
By Linda Barrett Osborne
Told through unforgettable first-person accounts, photographs, and other primary sources, this book is an overview of racial segregation and early civil rights efforts in the United States from the 1890s to 1954, a period known as the Jim Crow years. Multiple perspectives are examined as the book looks at the impact of legal segregation and discrimination on the day-to-day life of black and white Americans across the country. Complete with a bibliography and an index, this book is an important addition to black history books for young readers. Buy now from the Library Shop
Related Information
- New Library Publication Highlights Civil Rights Struggle
- Miles to Go for Freedom (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
- Miles to Go for Freedom (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
Photographic Memory: The Album in the Age of Photography
By Verna Posever Curtis
This book traces the rise of the album from the turn of last century to the present day, showcasing some of the most important examples in the history of the medium, as collected by the Library of Congress. The book includes albums by acclaimed photographers and filmmakers, among them Walker Evans, Danny Lyon, Holland Day, Jim Goldberg, Dorothea Lange, Duane Michals, Leni Riefenstahl and W. Eugene Smith, as well as lesser-known but equally significant albums. Each album is beautifully reproduced over numerous spreads with an accompanying detailed explanatory text. Buy now from the Library Shop
News and Events
- June 3, 2011 – Books and Beyond author talk
Related Information
- Photographic Albums are Subject of New Library Publication
- Every Picture Tells a Story
- Review in Artbook
- Review in the Guardian
The Poets Laureate Anthology
Edited and with introductions by Elizabeth Hun Schmidt; foreword by Billy Collins
This is a groundbreaking record of poetry, charting the course of American verse over the last seventy-five years. For the first time, work from each of the forty-three poets laureate is gathered in a single volume. From Robert Frost's iconic "The Road Not Taken" to Gwendollyn Brooks's "We Real Cool," from the elegiac Stanley Kunitz to the humor of Billy Collins to the numinous lyricism of W. S. Merwin, the wide-ranging selections in the book celebrate the monuments of American poetry. Spirited introductions by Elizabeth Hun Schmidt place the poets and their poems in historical and literary context and shine light on the interesting and often uneasy relationship between politics and art. The Poets Laureate Anthology is an inviting, monumental collection for everyone's library, with much of the best poetry written in America over the last century. Buy now from the Library Shop
News and Events
- October 12, 2010 - 100 Years of American Poetry, 1910-2010
- October 6, 2010 - A Celebration of American Poets Laureate
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The Washington Haggadah
By Joel Ben Simeon, introduction by David Stern, Katrin Kogman-Appel
After the Bible, the Passover haggadah is the most widely read classic text in the Jewish tradition. More than four thousand editions have been published since the late fifteenth century, but few are as exquisite as the Washington Haggadah, which resides in the Library of Congress. Now, a stunning facsimile edition meticulously reproduced in full color brings this beautiful illuminated manuscript to a new generation. Joel ben Simeon, the creator of this unusually well-preserved codex, was among the most gifted and prolific scribe-artists in the history of the Jewish book. This edition faithfully preserves the original text, with the Hebrew facsimile appearing in the original right-to-left orientation. It will be read and treasured by anyone interested in Jewish history, medieval illuminated manuscripts, and the history of the haggadah. Buy now from the Library Shop
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Baseball Americana
By Harry Katz, Frank Ceresi, Phil Michel, Wilson McBee, and Susan Reyburn
The Library of Congress houses the world’s largest baseball collection, documenting the history of the game and providing a unique look at America since the late 1700s. From baseball’s biggest stars to street urchins, from its most newsworthy stories to sandlot and Little League games, Baseball Americana examines baseball’s hardscrabble origins, rich cultural heritage, and uniquely American character. The more than 350 fabulous illustrations—many never before published—feature first-generation, vintage photographic and chromolithographic baseball cards; photographs of famous players and ballparks; and newspaper clippings, cartoons, New Deal photographs, and baseball advertisements. Buy now from the Library Shop
News and Events
- April 12, 2010 - Books and Beyond author talk
- October 2-3, 2009 - Baseball Americana Symposium
- September 16, 2009 - Baseball is Subject of New Library of Congress Publication
Related Information
- New York Times book review, December 6, 2009
- Ron Kaplan’s Baseball Book Shelf
- Sports Illustrated book review, October 5, 2009
- Sports Illustrated’s top sports books of 2009
- Smithsonian magazine article on LC baseball cards
- American Heritage magazine book adaptation (Summer 2009 | Vol. 59, Issue 2)
- NPR interview with co-authors Susan Reyburn and Phil Michel
- WAMU interview with co-author Susan Reyburn and Negro League pitcher Mamie “Peanut” Johnson
- Baseball Americana symposium, October 3, 2009
- HarperCollins Baseball Americana website
Traveling the Freedom Road: From Slavery and the Civil War Through Reconstruction
By Linda Barrett Osborne
Told through unforgettable first person accounts, Traveling the Freedom Road provides an overview for young people of the antebellum South, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. The book draws on interviews conducted with former slaves in the 1930s as part of the Federal Writers’ Project, housed in the Library of Congress. It also includes stories culled from diaries, fugitive slave narratives, schoolwork, anti-slavery publications, and other nineteenth century materials that focus on the experiences of African American children, as well as adults. More than 80 archival images from the Library’s vast collections, among them photographs, prints and newspaper clippings, complement the text. Buy now from the Library Shop
News and Events
- March 2009 - Information Bulletin: New Publications from the Library of Congress
- February 9, 2009 - Books and Beyond author talk
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World War Two 365 Days
By Margaret E. Wagner, introduction by David M. Kennedy
A singular visual history of that world-altering event, World War II: 365, with an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David M. Kennedy, includes more than 500 color and black-and white images drawn from the incomparable collections of the Library of Congress. Photos, cartoons, posters, book illustrations, maps, illustrated envelopes, Allied and Axis propaganda pamphlets, and eye-witness drawings are complemented by succinct text that places each image in context and explores relevant topics. Quotations from diaries, letters, and recorded interviews lace through the text, adding to the immediacy of the narrative. Many of those quotes, and a number of unique images, come from the growing archives of the Library’s Veterans History Project, which gathers first-hand accounts of war experiences from American veterans. Buy now from the Library Shop
News and Events
- September 16, 2009 - Works by Political Cartoonist Herblock Featured in New Retrospective Volume
- May 20, 2009 - “World War II: 365 Days” Is Subject of Illustrated Book Discussion
Related Information
- North County Times book review
- Books and Beyond author talk, Margaret M. Wagner and Athena Angelos, May 27, 2009
- LC World War II materials guide
- LC World War II maps
- Veterans History Project
Fields of Vision: The Photographs of Jack Delano
Introduction by Esmeralda Santiago
The approximately 172,000 photographs in the Library of Congress’ collection from the Farm Security Administration (FSA), later the Office of War Information (OWI), provide a unique view of American life during the Great Depression and Second World War. Initially conceived to document government loans to farmers and their subsequent resettlement in suburban communities, this government project expanded to create a visual record of agricultural workers across the United States, as well as a record of both rural and urban centers as the nation prepared for World War II. Each volume in the “Fields of Vision” series features an introduction to the work of a single FSA photographer by a leading contemporary author or writer, and presents 50 striking images that show how the particular vision of these photographers helped shape the collective identity of America. Buy now from the Library Shop
Herblock: The Life and Works of the Great Political Cartoonist
By Harry Katz and Haynes Johnson
Throughout a career spanning seventy-two years and thirteen American presidents, Herblock’s spare, folksy cartoons cartoons focused on important issues of the time, making Americans take note of the human folly that is politics. Published in conjunction with the Library of Congress exhibition chronicling his life and times, Herblock is a celebration of his life that reinforces the importance of editorial cartoons as a vital means for expressing political opinion in America. Haynes Johnson provides a reverent and insightful biography, while Harry Katz places Herblock and his work in context. In addition to more than two hundred fifty cartoons in the text, a DVD containing more than 18,000 cartoons completes the collection. Buy now from the Library Shop
News and Events
- September 16, 2009 - Works by Political Cartoonist Herblock Featured in New Retrospective Volume
- October 15, 2009 - Books and Beyond author talk
Related Information
- Herblock’s Gift exhibition
- Herblock’s History exhibition
- The Herb Block Foundation
- Library of Congress Blog: Preserving Herblock a Rewarding Job for Conservators
Framing the West: The Survey Photographs of Timothy H. O'Sullivan
By Toby Jurovics, Carol M. Johnson, Glenn G. Willumson, and William F. Stapp
Co-published by sister institutions the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, this scholarly volume accompanies the exhibition “Framing the West: The Survey Photographs of Timothy H. O'Sullivan,” held at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., from February 12 to May 9, 2010. While traversing the mountain and desert regions of the western United States for six seasons between 1867 and 1874, O'Sullivan developed a forthright and rigorous style of photography in response to the landscapes of the American West, and returned to Washington, D.C. with hundreds of photographs. Housed in the Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs Division, these images deftly balancing the interests of science and art form the foundation of the library's extensive collection of early western landscape photography. Buy now from the Library Shop
News and Events
- January 13, 2010 - Timothy H. O'Sullivan's Frontier Photographs Subject of New Publication, Exhibition