|
 Library of Congress, Jefferson Building - Washington, D.C. Posted by:  JimmyEv
N 38° 53.321 W 077° 00.282
18S E 326130 N 4306333
When Congress hired John L. Smithmeyer, Paul J. Pelz, and Pearce Casey to design this building, they wanted one as grand as the grandest buildings found in European capitols. For $125 million, that’s what they got.
Waymark Code: WM2FV0
Location: District of Columbia, United States
Date Posted: 10/27/2007
Views: 185
|
An Act of Congress established the Library of Congress on April 24, 1800. The library was housed in the Capitol, containing volumes on law, for reference by the nascent Congress. Fourteen years after its establishment, during the War of 1812, the British used the volumes in Congress’s library, as well as books found in the Supreme Court’s Library, as kindling to light the building on fire.
The fire was extinguished by a rain storm. Damage to the Capitol was limited, but the Library of Congress was destroyed. Thomas Jefferson sold Congress his collection of 6,487 volumes ‘at cost.’ Jefferson’s eclectic collection of books set the tone for the types of books to be acquired by the Library of Congress - books covering just about every subject.
The Library of Congress remained in the U.S. Capitol Building until 1897. The copyright law of 1870 required two copies of each book published to be deposited with the Library of Congress to gain copyright protection. This action grew the library’s collection of books exponentially. The Jefferson Building was erected to house the ever-growing collection in 1897. Over the next century, the Library expanded into two more buildings - the Adams Building, erected in 1939, and the Madison Building, erected in 1980. But the Jefferson Building remains the most stunning.
|
|
|
Architects John L. Smithmeyer and Paul J. Pelz designed the Italian Renaissance exterior of the Jefferson Building, based on the design of the Paris Opera House. The low-slung dome is plated with 23-karat gold and capped by the Torch of Learning. Three double bronze doors, each weighing one ton, define the entrance to the building. The doors, modeled by Frederick MacMonnies, Olin L. Warner and Herbert Adams, depict Tradition, Writing and Printing.
|
|
|
But you won’t be entering through the double doors; the visitors entrance is on the ground level, underneath the carriageway. Beyond the Visitors Desk (pick up a tour brochure here) are hallways and rooms housing temporary exhibits, such as an exhibit on Bob Hope, and the library’s caricature collection. In order to behold the fabulous work of architect Pearce Casey, who brought the Italian Renaissance design of the exterior of the building to the interior, climb the marble steps.
The interior of the Jefferson Building is one of the most magnificent interiors in the District. America was competing with the European capitols, attempting to produce a building as glorious as those found across the ocean. You’ll emerge in the West Corridor. Make sure you’re always looking up. The ceiling is stuccoed with 23 karat gold leaf. Along the walls are eight pairs of statues, each depicting the Goddess Minerva at War and at Peace, sculpted by Herbert Adams.
Directly in front of the West Corridor is the Great Hall, made of white Italian marble. The ceiling, with stained glass skylights, soars 75 feet overhead. Below you on the floor is a compass rose. On either side of the room are grand staircases, sculpted with a wealth of detail by Philip Martiny.
Don’t get so distracted that you miss the other three corridors surrounding the Great Hall. Each one contains a plethora of artwork, including a vaulted mosaic ceiling honoring Americans, six semicircular paintings by John White Alexander illustrating the evolution of the book, cases displaying the Library’s most prized possessions - originals of the Gutenberg Bible and the Giant Bible of Mainz, paintings by Elihu Vedder depicting the effects of both good and bad government, paintings by Charles Sprague Pearce, and paintings by Henry Oliver Walker honoring poets.
From the second floor, you can gaze down at the Great Hall. The corridors surrounding the Great Hall on this floor are as intensely decorated as those on the first floor. Here you can see eight paintings by George Barse Jr. depicting literature, three paintings of the Life of Man by William A. Mackay, changing exhibits, and more paintings by Gari Melchers.
|
|
Off of the second floor, up a few more stairs, is the visitors gallery overlooking the Main Reading Room. Contained in the Main Reading Room, beneath a domed ceiling 160-feet high, are 70,000 volumes of books. Semi-circular windows line the dome. The stained glass filling these windows feature the state seals of the 48 contiguous states. You can look up at the dome, or gaze down upon the researchers busily looking through the library’s collections. If you’d like to roam on the floor yourself, go over to the Madison Building and get yourself a Reader Identification Card. You have to be over 18 to get the card, but it is free and allows you access to all three Library of Congress Buildings and their collections. |
The "Official Tourism" URL link to the attraction: [Web Link]
The attraction’s own URL: [Web Link]
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Saturday, 10am-5:30pm
Admission Prices:
Free.
Approximate amount of time needed to fully experience the attraction: Up to 1 hour
Transportation options to the attraction: Personal Vehicle or Public Transportation
|
Visit Instructions:As a suggestion for your visit log, please make every effort to supply a brief-to-detailed note about your experience at the Waymark. If possible also include an image that was taken when you visited the Waymark. Images can be of yourself, a personal Waymarking signature item or just one of general interest that would be of value to others. Sharing your experience helps promote Waymarking and provides a dynamic history of your adventures.
|