American treasures in the Library of Congress : memory, reason, imagination / introduction by Garry Wills ; [editor: Margaret E. Wagner]
- Bib ID:
- 1648791
- Format:
- Book
- Author:
- Library of Congress
- Description:
-
- New York : H.N. Abrams in association with the Library of Congress, 1997
- 176 p. : ill. (chiefly col.), col. maps ; 27 cm.
- ISBN:
- 0810942984
- Summary:
-
The nucleus of the present-day Library of Congress was formed in 1815, when the nation purchased Thomas Jefferson's personal library of about six thousand volumes, which had been organized around the concepts of "Memory" (history), "Reason" (philosophy, law, and science), and "Imagination" (the arts). Today, the Library's vast holdings - nearly 110 million items in formats ranging rom manuscripts to motion pictures and sound recordings - offer an unparalleled vista of American life in all of the realms embraced by Jefferson's original scheme.
For most Americans, it has been until now a vista largely hidden from view. This book gathers seventy-six of the Library's representative American treasures, selected by the Library's experts for its first-ever permanent public exhibition; a superb collection that expresses the essence of our heritage in all of its vibrant diversity. They are, as Pulitzer Prize-winning author Garry Wills says in his eloquent introduction, at first sight almost dizzyingly varied, encompassing comic books and the Declaration of Independence; a design for a macaroni machine and a design for the United States Capitol; a cookbook and the Gettysburg Address.
Wills speaks of the growth of a visual and aural culture, deeply reliant on image and song to communicate ideas and feelings. He points to an American obsession with justice, rights, and the rule of law. And, like many before him, he remarks on an American propensity to revel in the physical vastness of the land. These, and many other national characteristics, may be inferred from this selection of American treasures.
- Full contents:
-
- Foreword / James H. Billington
- Letter from Paul A. Allaire
- Introduction: National Treasures / Garry Wills
- Memory
- Reason
- Imagination
- Building the National Collection / Abby Smith
- Preserving the Past.
- Notes:
-
- "Object list": p. 168-172.
- Includes index.
- Subject:
- Other authors/contributors:
- Wagner, Margaret E
- Copyright:
-
In Copyright
You may copy under some circumstances, for example you may copy a portion for research or study. Order a copy through Copies Direct to the extent allowed under fair dealing. Contact us for further information about copying.
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Literary Dramatic Musical
- Published status:
- Published
- Publication date:
- 1997
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply. For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
Request this item
Request this item to view in the Library’s reading room.
Feedback
Similar items
- Bankokuhaku monogatari
- Local history exhibitions : how to plan and present them
- Canada's great international exhibition, May 24th to October 31st, 1896 [microform] / compiled by Joseph H. Stiles
- Handbook of general information
- Circular [microform] : Office of the Provincial Industrial and Agricultural Exhibition for 1859