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Archive: May 2013 (8 Posts)

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Civil War Chic

Posted by: Erin Allen

When looking at some clothing trends of today, with their bright colors and patterns, daring necklines, couture price tags and sometimes general wackiness, it’s hard to imagine how far fashion has actually come. According to Mary D. Doering, an heirloom-clothing collector, despite the trauma imposed by the Civil War, the mid-19th century witnessed the development …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Notes? Check. Words? Check. Pipes? Check!

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

It’s no great surprise that Carole King has become the first woman to win the prestigious Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song– what a talent.  She was co-writing hits that got huge airplay when she was still a teen in bobby sox: “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “Take Good Care of My Baby,” …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

A Cabinet of Gold

Posted by: Erin Allen

(The following is a story written by Martha Kennedy for the May-June 2013 edition of the Library of Congress Magazine, LCM.) The Library’s new exhibition “The Gibson Girl’s America: Drawings by Charles Dana Gibson” features works by a great American master of pen-and-ink drawing selected from the Library’s Cabinet of American Illustration. The story of …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Library in the News: April Edition

Posted by: Erin Allen

April was a month of honors for the Library of Congress – from feting a sports legend to honoring achievement in fiction to an all-out Grammy nod. On April 26, the Library celebrated the achievements of veteran sportscaster Bob Wolff, whose collection the institution also acquired. Outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Rising Up Out of the Myths

Posted by: Jennifer Gavin

It’s the year 1933.  There’s a 13-year-old kid in the front row at the movie palace.  He’s watching “King Kong,” completely transfixed. And there, in the flickering light of the screen, in the roar of the soundtrack, a famous career is born – as a youngster named Ray, already obsessed with dinosaurs, tells himself “Wow.  …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

In Retrospect: April Blogging Edition

Posted by: Erin Allen

The Library of Congress blogosphere published lots of great content in April. Following is just a highlight. In the Muse: Performing Arts Blog An “Appalachian Spring” Collaboration Students from the Baltimore School for the Arts talk about working with the Music Division collections. Inside Adams: Science, Technology & Business The Great Sheet Cake Mystery Jennifer …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

The Bird is the Word

Posted by: Erin Allen

“Bird” has been the word around my house lately. And, today, we celebrate Bird Day – a holiday established in 1894 by Charles Almanzo Babcock, a school superintendent in Oil City, Penn. Babcock hoped the initiative would promote conservation and awareness to the public, especially school children. Recently, a friend of mine started talking about …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

Pic of the Week: Taft in the House

Posted by: Erin Allen

Washington Nationals newest mascot, William Howard Taft, stopped by the Library of Congress last Friday during a special event celebrating the acquisition of the historic recording collection of Hall of Fame sports broadcaster Bob Wolff. A selection of Library treasures was put on display for guests, including Taft’s papers, which the National’s mascot is seen …