Exhibitions on Display at the Library

The Civil War in America

November 12, 2012 – January 4, 2014

The Library's unmatched Civil War collections featured in this exhibition chronicle the sacrifices and accomplishments of those in both the North and South whose lives were lost or affected by the events of 1861–1865.

The Gibson Girl’s America: Drawings by Charles Dana Gibson

March 30, 2013–August 17, 2013

In the 1890s Charles Dana Gibson (1867–1944) created the “Gibson Girl,” a vibrant, new feminine ideal who was the visual embodiment of what writers of the period described as the “New Woman.” From the 1890s until World War I, the glamorous Gibson Girl set the standard for beauty, fashion, and manners, bringing her creator unrivaled professional and popular success. This exhibition, selected from the exceptional collection of Gibson’s work at the Library of Congress, traces the arc of the artist’s career, highlighting the rise of the Gibson Girl from the 1890s through the first two decades of the twentieth century.

Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine: Two Kids from Brooklyn

February 14–July 27, 2013

This exhibition explores the many talents of the powerful entertainment duo Danny Kaye (1911–1987) and Sylvia Fine (1913–1991), both raised in Brooklyn, New York. Kaye’s career as an entertainer spanned six decades and encompassed nearly every aspect of the performing arts. He had the perfect partner in his wife, Fine, who not only wrote the music and lyrics of hundreds of songs tailored specifically to Kaye’s talents but also produced many of his eclectic engagements and brilliantly managed his career.

Hope for America: Performers, Politics and Pop Culture

Ongoing exhibition, opened June 11, 2010

Politicians and entertainers have dominated public life in America for much of the twentieth century. Members of both professions have found their worlds increasingly entangled. The exhibition explores some of these entanglements, focusing on the careers of Bob Hope and other entertainers who were involved in the political climate of their times. Explore artifacts that represent an array of viewpoints on the interplay of politics and entertainment in American public life.

Herblock Gallery

Ongoing exhibition, opened March 18, 2011

Politically independent and a champion of the little guy, Herbert L. Block (1909–2001)—better known as “Herblock”—spared no one from the wrath of his art. His pointed commentaries offer an opportunity to reflect on history and culture—how much has changed and what remains the same. The Herblock Gallery’s selection of ten cartoons—with new drawings every six months—provides the visitor an ongoing opportunity to learn more about this Pulitzer award winning artist and to appreciate the Library’s extensive Herbert L. Block Collections.

Caroline and Erwin Swann Memorial Exhibition

Ongoing exhibition, opened March 18, 2011

The exhibition reveals the power of cartoons to illuminate both human nature and history as well as provoke laughter and reflection. The diverse selection of images on display here represents the fascinating world of caricatures, political cartoons, comics, animation art, graphic novels, and illustrations. These treasured cartoons from the Swann and other cartoon collections indicate the broad range of holdings in the Library of Congress.

This exhibition and the Swann Gallery are made possible by the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon.

Exploring the Early Americas

Ongoing exhibition, opened December 12, 2007.

Exploring the Early Americas features selections from the more than 3,000 rare maps, documents, paintings, prints, and artifacts that make up the Jay I. Kislak Collection at the Library of Congress. It provides insight into indigenous cultures, the drama of the encounters between Native Americans and European explorers and settlers, and the pivotal changes caused by the meeting of the American and European worlds. The exhibition includes two extraordinary maps by Martin Waldseemüller created in 1507 and 1516, which depict a world enlarged by the presence of the Western Hemisphere.

Thomas Jefferson’s Library

Ongoing exhibition, opened April 11, 2008

Throughout his life, Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) collected books across a vast spectrum of topics and languages.  Jefferson followed a modified version of an organizational system created by British philosopher Francis Bacon (1561–1626) to arrange the books in his library, then the largest private book collection in North America. 

Divided into categories of Memory, Reason, and Imagination—which Jefferson translated to “History,” “Philosophy,” and “Fine Arts”—and further divided into forty-four “chapters,” the collection placed within Jefferson’s fingertips the span of his multifaceted interests.  The books from Jefferson’s library are part of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division of the Library of Congress.

Library of Congress Bible Collection

Ongoing exhibition, opened April 11, 2008

In the Great Hall of the Library of Congress, two monumental Bibles face each other as if in dialogue: one, the Giant Bible of Mainz, signifies the end of the handwritten book—and the other, the Gutenberg Bible, marks the beginning of the printed book and the explosion of knowledge and creativity it would engender. This exhibition explores the significance of the two Bibles, and, through an interactive presentation, the relationship between the Mainz Bible, the Gutenberg Bible, and sixteen selected Bibles from the Library’s collections.

Here to Stay: The Legacy of George and Ira Gershwin

Ongoing exhibition, opened December 11, 2008

Experience the glamor and sophistication of the 1920s and 1930s in this permanent tribute to the brothers who helped provided a musical background to the period. The exhibition features 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.