“The Capture of Tenochtitlán” from Exploring The Early Americas Exhibition
Visit the Library of Congress and experience the world’s largest collection of culture and creativity like never before. The Thomas Jefferson Building now features exhibitions and installations that bring the Library’s unparalleled collections to life. Whether you are in Washington, D.C., or at home, let the Library of Congress take you on a unique and personal journey through history. Millions of items are waiting for you—explore, discover, and be inspired.
Visit myLOC.gov to create a personal account and bookmark items of interest.
Herblock!
South Gallery 2nd Floor
Thomas Jefferson Bldg
Celebrates the 100th anniversary of editorial cartoonist Herb Block’s birth (1909-2001) with eighty-two original cartoon drawings, primarily selected from the Library’s extensive Herbert L. Block Collection, and which represent the breadth of his remarkable seventy-two-year career.
Molto Animato!: Music & Animation
First Floor, LM 113
James Madison Bldg
Explores the unparalleled collections in the Music; Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound; and Prints and Photographs divisions of the Library of Congress. Molto Animato (“very animated”), juxtaposes music scores, lyrics, and drawings with film clips and sound recordings to provide a glimpse into the intricate wedding of art forms that bring drawings to life. This exhibition provides a small sample of the Library’s treasures that demonstrate the magic of animation and the music that makes it come alive.
Exploring the Early Americas
Northwest Gallery 2nd Floor
Thomas Jefferson Bldg
Examine indigenous cultures, the drama of the encounters between Native Americans and Europeans, and the resulting changes caused by the meeting of the two worlds, which features selections from the Jay I. Kislak Collection. This exhibit also features Martin Waldseemüller’s 1507 map of the world—the first on which the word “America” appears.
Creating the United States
Southwest Gallery 2nd Floor
Thomas Jefferson Bldg
Gain insights into how the nation’s founding documents were forged and the role that imagination and vision played in the unprecedented creative act of forming a self-governing country. Participate in the process and delve into historic drafts of the Declaration of Independence, George Washington’s copy of the Constitution, and John Beckley’s Bill of Rights.
Thomas Jefferson’s Library
Southwest Pavilion 2nd Floor
Thomas Jefferson Bldg
Take a trip through a re-created version of Jefferson’s library, which assembles 6,487 volumes that founded the Library of Congress, and learn how one of America’s greatest thinkers was inspired through the world of books.
Library of Congress Bibles Collection
Great Hall East 1st Floor
Thomas Jefferson Bldg
Explore the significance of two monumental Bibles that face each other in the Library’s Great Hall—the Giant Bible of Mainz and the Gutenberg Bible. Through an interactive presentation, examine pages from these Bibles and learn about sixteen selected Bibles from the Library’s collections.
Here to Stay: The Legacy of George and Ira Gershwin
Ground Floor
Thomas Jefferson Bldg
Experience the glamour and sophistication of the 1920s and 1930s in this permanent tribute to the brothers who helped provide a musical background to the period. The exhibition contains a wealth of materials that provide insight into their careers and personalities, including manuscript and printed music, lyric sheets and librettos, personal and business correspondence, photographs, paintings, and drawings, all from the Gershwin Collection in the Music Division of the Library of Congress, the world's preeminent resource for materials about the Gershwins.
Last Updated: 01/26/2010