Archive for the News Category (243 posts)

Gutenberg Bible To Be Presented in New Display Case Designed for Conservation

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The Library’s Gutenberg Bible in its current display in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Photo by Michaela McNichol

For the first time in more than 70 years, the Gutenberg Bible at the Library of Congress will be moved into a new display case specially designed for the artifact’s long-term conservation and to better showcase the iconic book.

To prepare for the new exhibit, the Gutenberg Bible will be taken off view Friday, Sept. 21, while the current case is removed. A new display case will be installed in late October, and the Bible will be placed in its new home in late November or early December, once environmental testing is complete.

An 11-foot-tall vertical case has been designed for the Gutenberg Bible to meet exact specifications for its long-term conservation. It will be kept at a consistent, cool temperature of 50 degrees and a consistent humidity to help preserve the 563-year-old book, according to Elmer Eusman, chief of the Library’s Conservation Division. The case also includes a new early warning system for fire prevention that will constantly monitor the air.

Frosted mirrors and illumination within the display will create a special effect, emphasizing the Bible in a new way. Resting on a small cradle, the Bible will appear as if it’s floating. The design is meant to celebrate the historic book. Exhibition text will be presented on one side of the case for visitors.

The new case will be located in the same area as the Bible’s previous display in the corridor off of the Great Hall of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building. The new case has been built by a vendor off site. It will be deconstructed, moved into the Library and rebuilt in this final location. Installation is scheduled for the week of Oct. 29.

A facsimile of the Bible will be on display while the systems in the new case are tested. A temporary display case will show a facsimile until the new case is installed.

The Gutenberg Bible is one of the treasures of the Library’s collection. It was printed by Johann Gutenberg, who developed the mechanical printing press, and was likely completed in 1455. The Gutenberg Bible was the first great book printed in Western Europe with movable type, marking a turning point in bookmaking, communication and the dissemination of knowledge. About 180 copies of the Gutenberg Bible were printed, and fewer than 50 survive today. Only 21 copies are complete.

The Library of Congress copy consists of three volumes printed on vellum, a fine parchment made from animal skins. It is one of only a few perfect vellum copies known to exist. The others are at the Bibliothèque Nationale in France and the British Library. For nearly five centuries, the Library’s copy was in the possession of the Benedictine Order at monasteries in Austria. It was purchased in 1930 by an act of Congress.

Library of Congress Bible Collections (with illustration)

New Online: Senate Watergate Hearings

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This is a guest post by Amanda Reichenbach, a 2017 summer intern with the Junior Fellows Program in the Library’s Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division. She is a history major at Yale University. During her internship, she worked with newly digitized material from the 1973 Senate Watergate hearings and the 1974 House impeachment hearings, […]

EverydayLOC: New Year’s Resolutions

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Happy New Year! There is something sort of refreshing to me about saying those words. I have always fully embraced the notion that a new calendar year, psychologically speaking, offers a particular moment to reset, recommit and reprioritize. Whether you call them New Year’s Resolutions or, as one of my dear friends refers to them, […]

World War I: A New World Order – Woodrow Wilson’s First Draft of the League of Nations Covenant

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(The following was written by Sahr Conway-Lanz, historian in the Library’s Manuscript Division.) Like many individuals around the globe, Woodrow Wilson was shocked by the outbreak of a devastating world war among European empires in 1914. As President of the United States, however, he had a unique opportunity to shape the outcome of this catastrophic […]

Literacy Awards: Thomas Jefferson Would Have Approved

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(The following is a guest post by Guy Lamolinara, communications officer in the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress.) Thomas Jefferson, the Library of Congress’s spiritual founder, wrote about the pursuit of happiness. “I like to think that literacy is fundamental to that pursuit. So many doors are closed to those who […]

World War I: From Red Glare to Debonair

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(The following post is by Jennifer Gavin, senior public affairs specialist at the Library of Congress.) With its more than 90-year history, most Americans are aware of the military-based newspaper “The Stars and Stripes.” But many don’t know that it came into existence as a morale-builder after Americans surged into France during World War I […]

Library in the News: December 2016 Edition

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Happy New Year! Let’s look back on some of the Library’s headlines in December. Topping the news was the announcement of the new selections to the National Film Registry. Outlets really picked up on the heavy 80s influence of the list. “It’s loaded with millennials,” said Christie D’Zurilla of The Los Angeles Times. “Ten of […]

Library in the News: November 2016 Edition

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Smokey Robinson made headlines as the Library celebrated his work and career during the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song celebration concert. “Amid multiple standing ovations from an audience filled with political dignitaries at DAR Constitution Hall, the Motown star reflected on his humble Detroit roots as he accepted the prestigious Gershwin Prize for Popular Song,” […]

New Online: Presidents, Teachers & More Website Updates

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(The following is a guest post by William Kellum, manager in the Library’s Web Services Division.)  Presidential Collections With the next presidential inauguration quickly approaching, we’ve updated a popular presentation from our old American Memory site on U.S. presidential inaugurations: “I Do Solemnly Swear…” A Resource Guide highlights items from the Library’s collections such as […]

Gwen Ifill, a History-Tracker and a HistoryMaker

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Those who appreciate high-quality broadcast news were saddened today to learn of the passing of longtime PBS NewsHour co-host and Washington Week moderator Gwen Ifill. The former New York Times, Washington Post and NBC News political, congressional and White House reporter, 61, had been under treatment for cancer. She and her NewsHour co-host Judy Woodruff […]