Library of Congress
Caption: West front from the northwest, Library of Congress
Original Source: Historic American Buildings Survey
Location: Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress), Survey number HABS DC,WASH,461A-2
URL: http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/dc/dc0200/dc0221/photos/028929pr.jpg
Caption: Interior of the main reading room, looking east, Library of Congress
Original Source: Historic American Buildings Survey
Location: Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress), Survey number HABS DC,WASH,461A-2
URL: http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/dc/dc0200/dc0221/photos/028939pr.jpg
Description
by Katherine Raney
The Library of Congress was built between 1888 and 1897 by several different architects, including Paul Pelz and Edward P. Casey. Upon its completion, the building held a few thousand volumes; today, it holds millions of books and has overflowed into other buildings around the District. The library has two copies of every copyrighted book published in the United States. In addition the books, the library also houses photographs, film strips, correspondence, art and music. In addition, original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are housed there.
World War II Role
During the war, the library’s head librarian, Archibald MacLeish, felt it necessary to move the two precious originals to another location in case Washington was attacked by foreign forces. The two documents were taken to Fort Knox Louisville, Kentucky via train and armored car.
The library’s exhibits helped the morale of both visitors and citizens of Washington. A specific exhibit of Latin American art that opened in early 1942 was important in uplifting spectators.
It is essential to the museums open and the paintings in their proper places, unless the situation is changed greatly. Dr. David Findley, director of the National Gallery of Art in this city, said, in regard to the emergency:
“In time of war, art galleries and museums owe an even greater duty to the public than under ordinary conditions. They are places of spiritual refuge, where all may come and, for a time at least, forget the anxieties of the outside world.”1
By keeping its stacks, reading rooms and exhibits open, the Library of Congress contributed to the morale on the home front, maintaining a sense of normalcy in a city disrupted by foreign war.
Now, the Library of Congress celebrates the country’s wartime era through exhibits but does not discuss its own role in wartime Washington. In fact, most of the library’s exhibits focus on everything but the buildings themselves. Their own collections remain a source for show and continue to educate the public; however, the Library of Congress’ wartime role could be chalked up to the far-reaching patriotism felt between 1941 and 1945. It does not serve the same lofty purpose now – the establishment is considered a destination for word-hungry researchers or tired tourists, not Washington residents interested in keeping the war out of their minds for a few hours.
Sources
- 1Rainey, Ada. “Museums Help Morale in Wartime: Visitors May Find Spiritual Uplift Amid Beauties of Age-Old Art.” The Washington Post 1942, L7.
- Department of the Interior. Historic American Buildings Survey. 1983.
- Hart, Scott. Washington at War: 1941-1945. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1970.
- Moore, Charles. Washington: Past and Present. New York: The Century Co. 1929.
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