Library of Congress's Blog, page 175

In Bloom

Photo by Abby Brack Lewis

We’ve been on cherry blossom watch here at the Library, waiting for our 100-year-old cherry blossom trees to bloom. The grounds of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building are home to two of the original group of 3,020 Yoshino cherry trees given to Washington, D.C., in 1912, by the city of Tokyo as a symbol of friendship between Japan and the United States. And, these two beauties are among only nine remaining from that group.

Recently, one of the trees (pictured here), located at the corner of Independence Avenue and 2nd Street, was given a plaque to officially mark it as a commemorative tree.

Photo by Abby Brack Lewis

The Library commemorates the 100th anniversary of the gift of the cherry blossom trees with a webcast and an exhibition, “Sakura: Cherry Blossoms as Living Symbols of Friendship,” which explores the origin of the donation, the significance of cherry blossoms in Japanese culture and the friendship between Japan and the U.S. as symbolized through the trees.

 

 

First Batch of Authors for 2013 National Book Festival

Authors and poets Margaret Atwood, Marie Arana, Taylor Branch, Don DeLillo, Khaled Hosseini, Barbara Kingsolver, Brad Meltzer, Joyce Carol Oates, Katherine Paterson and U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey will be among more than 100 writers speaking at the 13th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival, on Saturday, Sept. 21 and Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013, between 9th and 14th streets on the National Mall.  As always, the event is free and open to the public; it will run from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, rain or shine.

Author John Green signs books for his fans at the 2012 Library of Congress National Book Festival. Photo by Richard Herbert

Other poets and authors slated to appear at the festival include Katherine Applegate, Rick Atkinson, Paolo Bacigalupi, Nicholson Baker, Bonnie Benwick, A. Scott Berg, Holly Black, Monica Brown, Steve Coll, Susan Cooper, Justin Cronin, Matt de la Peña, Katherine Erskine, Richard Paul Evans, Brian Floca, Eric Gansworth, Albert Goldbarth, Mark Helprin, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Juan Felipe Herrera, Jennifer and Matthew Holm, and Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Also Pati Jinich, Adam Johnson, William P. Jones, Cynthia Kadohata, Jamaica Kincaid, Matthew J. Kirby, Jon Klassen, Kirby Lawson, Grace Lin, Mario Livio, Rafael López, Kenneth W. Mack, William Martin, Ayana Mathis, James McBride, D.J. MacHale, Heather McHugh, Lisa McMann, Terry McMillan, Elizabeth Moon, Christopher Myers, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Kadir Nelson, Patrick Ness, Katherine Paterson, Daniel Pink, Andrea and Brian Pinkney and Matthew Quick.

Not to mention Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome, Vaddey Ratner, Christel Schmidt, Jon and Casey Scieszka, Chad “Corntassel” Smith, Andrew Solomon, Sonya Sones, Walter Stahr, Manil Suri, James L. Swanson, Mark Teague, Evan Thomas, Steve Vogel, Dean Young, Charles Whelan, and Henry Wiencek. (Hmm.  I guess we are mentioning them.)

What is more, internationally known illustrator Suzy Lee is creating the artwork for this year’s NBF poster.

This author list is just getting started! For details as they develop, go to www.loc.gov/bookfest/ .

Supporting Congress: Lawmakers and Their Library

(The following is a story written by Mark Hartsell for the March-April 2013 issue of the Library of Congress Magazine. Hartsell is editor of The Gazette, the Library’s staff newspaper.)

The Library’s mission is to support the Congress in fulfilling its constitutional duties and to further the progress of knowledge and creativity for the benefit of the American people.

By the time voters went to the polls in November, analysts in the Library’s Congressional Research Service (CRS) were hard at work researching the key public policy issues the newly elected representatives and senators likely would face when they convened on Capitol Hill nearly three months later.

The analysts in the Library’s Congressional Research Service identified roughly 160 such issues—from health care at home to political upheaval in the Middle East—and prepared research and reports that would be ready for use by the 113th Congress in the upcoming legislative session.

The research conducted by those analysts is but one service among many the Library provides to directly assist Congress in the performance of its legislative work. The Library offers members of Congress and their staffs a wide range of other support—legal research; guidance on important copyright issues; maps of global hot spots; expert, bicameral seminars on policy issues; information technology support; and, every two years, even the Bibles and bound copies of the Constitution newly elected members use in swearing-in ceremonies.

An act of Congress, signed by President John Adams, established the Library in 1800 to provide “such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress.” Today’s Library still provides Congress with books—more than 30,000 volumes circulated to the House and Senate in the last fiscal year—but it serves in many other ways as well.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, CRS held an open house for members and congressional staff to help address constituents’ needs and concerns. Photo by Robert H. Nickel.

“The U.S. Congress created this amazingly library,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. “For this, the Congress, past and present, deserves the most heartfelt thanks of all of us.”

Legislative Support

The research, analysis, seminars and programs produced by CRS provide Congress with a nonpartisan, confidential resource that helps members navigate the legislative process and address important, complex issues. Last year, CRS responded to about 700,000 congressional reference requests, delivered to Congress more than 1 million research products and offered a cadre of seminars and briefings.

CRS, for example, conducts a three-day orientation that provides newly elected members of the House with an overview of priority issues on the legislative agenda, legislative procedure and the budget process. The service also conducts programs that support Congress once the session gets underway – seminars, for example, that give members and their staffs the chance to meet with experts on a wide range of issues in an informal, confidential setting.

CRS has but one mission: Serve Congress in the performance of its work.

Similarly, service to Congress remains the Law Library’s first priority. Congress established the Law Library of Congress in 1832 with the mission of making its resources available to Congress and the Supreme Court—a mission that expanded over time to include other branches of government and the global legal community. Librarians and lawyers respond to congressional inquiries about U.S., foreign, comparative, and international legal and legislative research, drawing upon the world’s largest collection of law books and legal resources—more than 5 million items that span legal systems around the globe. Last year, the Law Library provided members of Congress with more than 300 in-depth reports, along with nonpartisan analysis and in-person consultations.

The Law Library’s legal reference librarians assist congressional and CRS staff any time either chamber of Congress is in session, no matter the hour. Law Library and CRS staff engage members of Congress through social media—RSS feeds, Facebook, Twitter, and blogs—on legal developments and course offerings.

Information Services

The Library brings together its unique combination of technical and congressional process expertise to provide Congress with a variety of information technology services.

The Law Library and CRS, working with the Library’s web services experts, maintain THOMAS, the Internet-accessible database that makes legislative information—bills, resolutions, treaties and the Congressional Record—available to Congress and the public. Congress.gov, a beta website operated jointly by the Library of Congress, the House, the Senate and the other legislative branch sources, provides the same information through mobile devices and eventually will replace THOMAS. The Law Library responds to all queries related to THOMAS and the Congress.gov beta site.

“Since the launch of the public legislative information system known as THOMAS in 1995, Congress has relied on the Library to make the work of Congress available to the public in a coherent, comprehensive way,” said Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) at the September 2012 launch of the Congress.gov beta site. “The Library staff has a strong working relationship with the House, Senate and the Government Printing Office, which will enable the Library to successfully develop the next generation legislative information website.”

Working with its legislative branch data partners, the Library launched a Congressional Record app on Jan. 16, 2012, and, on the following day, broadcast the first House committee hearing as part of a new streaming video project. Through the Congressional Cartography Program, the Geography and Map Division produces geospatial products for congressional offices and committees.

Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante (left) testifies before a congressional subcommittee on intellectual property rights and the Internet. Photo by Cecelia Rogers.

Copyright Issues

The Library of Congress also is home to the U.S. Copyright Office, where creators like Scott Turow and Taylor Swift and studios such as DreamWorks register books, songs or films for copyright to protect their rights as creators—more than 510,000 such claims were registered in fiscal 2012.

The register of copyrights—the director of the Copyright Office—also serves as the principal advisor to Congress on copyright issues. As such, the register works with the Senate and House Judiciary committees and with individual members to provide advice and technical expertise on copyright law and policy and to develop recommendations for potential legislative discussions in the future. The register also provides expert testimony before Congress and its committees.

Congress Comes to the Library

Curator Ed Redmond (left) shows items from the Geography and Map Division collections to (from left, at table) Reps. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.), Leonard Lance (R-N.J.) and Rush Holt (D-N.J.). Photo by Abby Brack Lewis.

The Library’s three Capitol Hill buildings, all located within a block of the U.S. Capitol, frequently serve as meeting and event venues for members, including events in conjunction with the start of each new Congress. The Library provided space for more than 85 events for members in the last fiscal year: staff retreats, panel discussions, meetings with foreign legislators, luncheons, concerts and receptions.

The Congressional Relations Office, the primary point of contact between the Library and Congress, helps manage those congressional events and other services. Last year the office hosted nearly 500 visits by members and arranged tours for more than 84,000 constituents referred by 466 congressional offices.

The Congressional Relations Office also runs programs that provide service to constituents back home. For example, the office worked with more than 150 members of Congress last year to send surplus books to local libraries, schools and museums. Through another program, the office helped congressional staff teach educators in their home districts how to use the Library’s vast online resources in their own classrooms. Last year, the Library trained more than 27,000 teachers from 378 congressional districts to use primary sources in the classroom.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), co-chair with Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) of the Library’s Congressional Caucus, paid tribute in a November floor statement to the service the Library provides in helping Congress perform its constitutional duties. “Perhaps one of the best parts of serving in Congress is the access to our Library, the Library of Congress, the dedicated staff at CRS, and the magnificent Members Reading Room,” Blumenauer said. “The Library of Congress is truly a national treasure.”

A download of  the March-April 2013 issue of the LCM is available here. You can also view the archives of the Library’s former publication from 1993 to 2011.

A Turn-of-the-Century “True Hollywood Story”

Evelyn Nesbit. Photo by Otto Sarony. 1901. Prints and Photographs Division.

In the 1890s, illustrator Charles Dana Gibson created the “Gibson Girl,” a vibrant, new feminine ideal—a young woman who pursued higher education, romance, marriage, physical well-being and individuality with unprecedented independence. Until World War I, the Gibson Girl set the standard for beauty, fashion and manners.

The Library’s new exhibition, “The Gibson Girl’s America,” which opened last week, pays homage to the artist, his iconic art and how women’s increasing presence in the public sphere contributed to the social fabric of turn-of-the-20th-century America. The exhibition is on view through Aug. 17 in the Graphic Arts Galleries on the ground level of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building

Charles Gibson used several models as his muses, including his own wife, Irene Langhorne, and Belgian-American actress Camille Clifford. However, it would be model Evelyn Nesbit that would bring scandal to the name. Gibson’s work, formerly titled “Women: The Eternal Question” (1905) –  one of many he drew featuring Nesbit –remains one of his best-known pieces.

Nesbit was discovered at age 14 in Philadelphia, while working at Wanamaker’s department store. Her career as an artist’s model soon took off, and she moved to New York City in December 1900. She became an overnight sensation and the sole breadwinner for her family, first as a model for painters and sculptors, and then in the more lucrative field of posing for photographers, magazine illustrators and advertising. At 16, she took to the stage as a chorus girl in the Broadway musical “Florodora” and later as a featured player in “The Wild Rose.” The media quickly latched on to the young ingénue and the publicity hype soon followed.

Her beauty and talent did not escape the eyes of would-be suitors, including prominent architect Stanford White, who was 31 years her senior. White was very calculated in his pursuit of Nesbit. Ingratiating himself with her mother and friends, White cultivated the notion of himself as a father figure and benefactor. Through this trust, he was able to take advantage of the teenaged girl, seducing her one night while her mother was out of town. Nesbit and White carried on a relationship for nearly a year until she was sent off to a girls’ school in New Jersey at age 17.

“The Queen of Hearts,” possibly featuring Evelyn Nesbit Thaw, by Walter Dean Godlbeck. March 28, 1914. Prints and Photographs Division.

After her relationship with White ended, Nesbit certainly dated other men, but none would capture her until Henry Thaw. Thaw, heir to a $40 million fortune, pursued Nesbit relentlessly after seeing her on the Broadway stage. She resisted his advances and marriage proposals for nearly two years after breaking up with White – even confessing to Thaw what had transpired between her and her much older lover. The confession only enraged Thaw – who was believed to be a drug addict with myriad mental problems – and planted the seed for a fatal vendetta.

Nesbit did finally agree to marry Thaw, possibly because she realized she had few opportunities for a respectable marriage and financial security. On April 4, 1905, the two exchanged vows.  A year later, Thaw and Nesbit ran into Stanford White at a rooftop performance of a new musical at Madison Square Garden. During the finale, Thaw approached White brandishing a pistol and shot him three times in the face. White died instantly.  According to a New York Times account the following day, a witness heard Thaw saying “You ruined my wife” as he shot White.

Dubbed the “trial of the century,” the first trial in 1907 ended with a hung jury. During a second trial a year later, Thaw pleaded temporary insanity and was sent to the Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane in upstate New York. Thaw escaped to Canada, briefly, and was finally released from the asylum in 1915, after being judged sane.

The love triangle between White, Nesbit and Thaw and its violent end was fodder for the yellow journalism of the time, as the media sensationalized the story and its characters and dissected every detail. The Library’s Chronicling America site has several headlines from the New York Tribune.

The morning after the murder, headlines screamed of the tragedy.

“Thaw Kills Stanford White” 

“Looks Bad for Thaw,” “White Stories Untrue” said the July 5, 1906, issue.

As the first trial progressed, the paper was with it at every step.

“Thaw Jury Disagrees,” Discharged After Forty-Eight Hours of Wrangling,” “Nearly at Fisticuffs,” “Seven for Death; Five, Acquittal” announces the April 13, 1907, issue.

Harry K. Thaw leaving court. July 1915. Prints and Photographs Division.

Of course, other newspapers reported on the events surrounding the murder and trials

“Great Battle for Thaw’s Life” reads a headline from the Jan. 21, 1908, edition of the Hawaiian Star.

“Second Trial Opens Tomorrow; Prisoner Relies Upon Insanity Plea and His Girl Wife’s Graphic Life Story” said the Jan. 5, 1908 issue of The Washington Times.

“Thaw Found Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity – Sent to the Asylum” shouts a Seattle Star headline from Feb. 1, 1908.

 

These are just a sampling of the stories in Chronicling America. Just search for the key players – Harry K. Thaw, Evelyn Nesbit and Stanford White – to pull many more.

Nesbit went on to find moderate success in vaudeville, as a burlesque dancer and as an art teacher in Los Angeles. She died at a nursing home in Santa Monica, Calif., in 1967, at the age of 82.

A League of Their Own

The Rockford Peaches. 1945. Library of Congress.

The other day at roller derby practice, the subject of women and baseball came up. Okay, to be fair, my teammates may have just been quoting lines from the movie “A League of Their Own,” which was recently inducted into the Library of Congress National Film Registry. But, nonetheless, with baseball season upon us, it’s no wonder the subject was on their minds.

The movie follows the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), which celebrates its 70-year anniversary this year. The organization was founded the spring of 1943. Men all over the country were being drafted into the armed forces during World War II and with that came fear the Major Leagues might disappear. Chewing-gum mogul and Chicago Cubs owner Philip Wrigley proposed a professional women’s league to keep the sport in the public eye.

What started out as four teams – the Kenosha Comets, the Racine Bells, the Rockford Peaches and the South Bend Blue Sox – grew into some 10 teams and more than 600 women athletes. Initially softballs were used, but as the league grew, so did their adherence to regular baseball regulations like smaller balls, base stealing and full overhand pitching.

While these women may have been strong athletes, league officials strived to keep up the femininity of its players – from their short-skirted uniforms to their outward feminine appearance and deportment.

Dottie Schroeder (inspiration for Geena Davis’s character in “A League of Their Own”) was a slick-fielding shortstop and the only player to play all 12 years of the league, according to the AAGPBL. She started playing at age 15 with the Blue Sox but spent the majority of her career with the Fort Wayne Daisies. She also played on several All-Star teams.

Manager Jimmy Foxx and Dorothy Schroeder were models for the Tom Hanks and Geena Davis characters in “A League of Their Own.” 1952. Library of Congress.

In addition to playing 12 AAGPBL seasons, Schroeder holds all-time records for most games played (1,249) and most at-bats (4,129). She also produced the most RBIs in league history, 431, making her one of only five players to collect over 400 RBIs. Oh, and she was pretty and friendly to boot.

She listed “winning playoffs in 1954, South and Central American Tour in 1949, spring training in Havana, Cuba [1947] and just simply playing ball in each and every game” as her favorite memories in a questionnaire for the AGPBL Archives at the Northern Indiana Center for History. She passed away in 1996.

The League disbanded in 1954, following financial difficulties, declining attendance and the advent of televised Major League baseball games.

I think you could agree that these athletes were pioneering a new opportunity for women, which perhaps opened the door for future professional sports like women’s softball, basketball and hopefully, one day, roller derby.

The Library of Congress publication, “Baseball Americana,” features the story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and more, peppering each chapter of America’s favorite pastime with items from our baseball collection, one of the world’s largest.

Want to see more? We’ve gathered a variety of our online resources on baseball here.

Here are some more links where you may find information on your team or baseball in general:

Benjamin K. Edwards Baseball Card Collection

The Business of Baseball (Business & Economics Research Advisor)

A Capital Team

Washington Senators baseball team. Between 1909 and 1932. Prints and Photographs Division.

Baseball is certainly on the minds of sports enthusiasts as Opening Day is today. And, the Washington’s Nationals join most Major League Baseball teams in kicking off the season.

Washington, D.C. actually has a long and storied baseball history. Formed in the late 19th century, the District’s teams have used both the names “Nationals” and “Senators” and often interchangeably. The ‘Nats didn’t appear to make a name for themselves until 1886 as a member of the National League. They folded in 1889, after finishing last.

Two years later, the team was resurrected as the Washington Statesmen with the American Association. The association went bust after that season and back went the team to the National League as the Senators.

The Senators did not fare well in their nine years as a franchise, never finishing .500 or better. In 1899, the National League reduced its number of contracted teams from 12 to eight, and the Senators ended up striking out.

In 1901, the second iteration of the team returned with the debut of the American League. Once said to be “first in war, first in peace and last in the American League,” the franchise would remain in the capital until 1961, when they moved to Minnesota to become the Minnesota Twins.

Despite their history as a consistently losing team, the Senators managed to win the 1924 World Series and pennants in 1925 and 1933, thanks in part to such Hall-of-Famers as Walter Johnson and Joe Cronin.

Roger Peckinpaugh is tagged out at home plate during game between Washington and the Philadelphia Athletics. Ca. 1924 or 1925. Prints and Photographs Division.

An expansion team came to bat following the Minnesota departure. This third version of the Senators stayed in town until 1971, when they moved to Texas and became the Rangers.

According to the Sports E-Cyclopedia, the team’s last game on Sept. 30, 1971, against the New York Yankees saw a riot as angry, jilted fans continually disrupted play by throwing things onto the field. At the ninth inning, the Senators were leading but unruly fans streaming onto the field caused the game to be forfeited as order was unable to be restored.

Washington Senators baseball played host to many lawmakers of the country over time. Eleven presidents of the United States, three vice presidents, a speaker of the House of Representatives and a Canadian prime minister, among others, all threw out the first pitch to help open the season.

Washington wouldn’t see baseball on its turf again until 2005, when the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals, who are a member of the East Division of the National League of the MLB.

In 2012, the Washington Nationals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, becoming the first D.C. team to advance to the postseason in 79 years. They went on to win the National League East Division but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in game five of the National League Division Series.

An interesting sidebar: The Broadway musical, “Damn Yankees,” was inspired by the competitive struggles of the Washington Senators. “You Gotta Have Heart,” one of the songs from the musical, is often played at baseball games.

If you want to read actual sports headlines from the bygone days of your favorite team, head to Chronicling America and search through its historical newspapers.

American League Park, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia vs. Washington. May 6, 1905. Prints and Photographs Division.

The Library of Congress publication, “Baseball Americana,” draws upon items from its baseball collection – the world’s largest – to tell the story of America’s favorite pastime. From baseball’s biggest stars to sandlot street urchins, from its most newsworthy stories to Little-League games, the book tells the history of the sport’s hardscrabble origins, rich cultural heritage and uniquely American character.

Want to see more? We’ve gathered a variety of our online resources on baseball here.

 

Opening Day Redux for President Taft

With the start of the baseball season imminent, our national pastime is in the air and on our minds. The following is a guest post by the Library’s Director of Communications, Gayle Osterberg.

Good news, Washington baseball fans: the Washington Nationals come home today, closing out their pre-season schedule against the New York Yankees.

President William Howard Taft at the Washington-Chicago baseball game, August 13, 1912. Bain Collection, Prints & Photographs Division

Today will also mark the inaugural Presidents Race at the ballpark for the 2013 season, and the first appearance of a fifth presidential runner, President William Howard Taft. Those who have not had the opportunity to enjoy a baseball game in Washington may not be familiar with the presidential races, which up until this season have featured four of our most iconic leaders rendered in mascot form – George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt – running via video from points around the Nation’s Capital, entering the stadium, and racing around the perimeter of the field to a big finish.

The addition of President Taft to this season’s running presidents line-up no doubt got many Washingtonians wondering, Why Taft? Since I have the great privilege of working at a knowledge center that houses the papers of our first 23 presidents, including Taft, I decided to dig deeper.

Turns out, although baseball dates back to the 18th century, President Taft was the first American president to embrace and support the sport in a very public way.

President Taft threw out the opening day pitch two seasons in a row in Washington – April 14, 1910, and again April 12, 1911, according to his diaries – the first President to do so, according to the Library of Congress’ book Baseball Americana.

President William Howard Taft greets Washington baseball players at the Washington-Chicago baseball game, August 13, 1912. Bain Collection, Prints & Photographs Division

The 1910 game resulted in a 3-0 win for the Washington Senators over the Philadelphia Athletics. The lead of the Washington Herald’s front-page coverage of the victory, says “With the President of the United States, Vice President Sherman, and all the big men of the country looking on, the Nationals opened the American League baseball season of 1910 here yesterday by splashing a can of whitewash over the Philadelphia Athletics, 3 to 0.”

In Taft’s papers is correspondence to the day’s star, pitcher Walter Johnson, who pitched a no-hitter. After the game’s conclusion, Johnson wrote Taft that very day asking for the ball from the opening pitch with Taft’s autograph. Taft obliged and sent the ball to Johnson the next day. The accompanying letter includes a copy of the inscription on the ball:

 “For Walter Johnson with the hope that he may continue to be as formidable as in yesterday’s game. W.H. Taft, April 15, 1910.”

 Taft’s personal assistant, Major Archibald Butt, typed entries for the official diaries and recorded the 1911 game in a somewhat perfunctory manner:

With the President was Senator Crane, his Secretary, Mr. Hilles, General Clarence R. Edwards, and His Personal Aid, Major Butt. The President was handed the ball which was to open the game and he tossed it into the diamond.

 The game was concluded at 6 o’clock, the score being 8 to 5 in favor of Washington.

 An accompanying article from the Washington Herald pasted into the book is a little more colorful, with a headline and three subheads:

THOUSANDS SEE OPENING GAME AND VICTORY

Demonstrations Unequaled in History of Fandom in Capital City

PRESIDENT TAFT TOSSES FIRST BALL

Grand Principle of the Equality of Men Demonstrated in the Mixture of Statesmen, Millionaires, and Social Favorites with the Humble Citizen and Ne’er-do-well

The President did not confine his fandom to the Nation’s Capital. In May, 1910, his calendar resembles that of someone setting out to see a game in every ballpark in a single season.

He attended a game in Pittsburgh – the defending World Series champions – May 2, then traveled to St. Louis May 4, where he first watched the Cardinals played the Reds of Cincinnati (Taft’s hometown) followed by a trip across town to watch the St. Louis Browns play Cleveland.

The President was back in Washington May 24 when, his diary notes, he received the newly appointed Minister of Spain in the Blue Room, and later the Minister from Honduras. Then at 4 he left the White House to attend a game versus Detroit, which was described as “an interesting one.” At the conclusion of the 3-2 Washington win – called after six innings due to rain – the President, “at the request of management,” greeted members of both teams before heading to dinner. Among the Tigers playing that day: the legend Ty Cobb.

Welcome back to Washington baseball, President Taft. Here’s to many more memories.

Here are some more links where you may find information on your team or baseball in general:

Historic Baseball Resources

Baseball Americana (book)

Chronicling America (newspapers)

Benjamin K. Edwards Baseball Card Collection

The Business of Baseball (Business & Economics Research Advisor)

Mary Pickford: Queen of the Movies

The following is an article written by Christel Schmidt of the Library’s Publishing Office, who has edited a book on Mary Pickford, for the March-April 2013 issue of the Library of Congress Magazine.

Mary Pickford with a movie camera in 1916. Prints and Photographs Division

It has been 100 years since Mary Pickford was first dubbed the Queen of the Movies. At the time, the phrase simply noted her popularity in the huge field of actors who appeared in short films shown at nickelodeons. Though it was a gratifying compliment, the title had inherently ignoble associations. After all, most people considered the movies to be a low form of entertainment. Pickford winced at the label, but it was remarkably prophetic of her future triumphs.

As the movies expanded to feature length, Pickford’s skyrocketing fame created box-office gold; meanwhile, her widely heralded acting prowess advanced the medium’s quest for respectability. In 1915 Pickford formed her own corporation and began hardball negotiations with her studio, Famous Players. This led to a landmark film contract the following year, in which Pickford received her own production unit, a strong creative voice in the making of her movies, and a salary rivaled only by that of Charlie Chaplin. Just two years later, she left Famous Players for First National in a deal that gave her complete creative control and more money. Then, with the ink barely dry on her contract, she became involved in plans to form a new company, United Artists, which she cofounded with Chaplin, actor Douglas Fairbanks, and director D. W. Griffith in 1919.

From 1910 to 1920, the fervor of Pickford’s massive fan base never wavered. In fact, the craze amplified, especially when the Queen of the Movies—a title that now defined her position as both an industry leader and a superstar—married Fairbanks. As Hollywood’s most popular leading man, Fairbanks was a king in his own right, and he shared Pickford’s passion for filmmaking. The pair became the first celebrity supercouple; their movies spread American culture and values around the world and made them the nation’s unofficial ambassadors. During their international travels, they were coveted guests of royalty, presidents, and prime ministers. At home, they ruled Hollywood from Pickfair, their Beverly Hills mansion, which became a social center for the cultural elite.

Promotional flyer for “The Hoodlum” (1919). Prints and Photographs Collection

By the mid-1920s, newer and younger stars were challenging Pickford’s box-office supremacy. Several—including Clara Bow, Colleen Moore, and Gloria Swanson—temporarily won the mantle of movie queen, but Pickford remained an enduring favorite. Then, suddenly, the industry underwent a radical change: silent film was out and the talkies were in. Within a few years, most of the era’s great stars had toppled from their lofty positions, and Pickford’s acting career and marriage faltered. During the Depression, she sought refuge in new ventures—forming a cosmetics company, performing on radio and writing books. These projects met with varying success, but none captured her soul as the movies had. Though she continued to work with United Artists and occasionally produced films for other people, nothing matched the thrill of creating her own. A decade of professional disappointment was matched by profound personal losses; her mother, Charlotte, died in 1928, followed by her younger siblings, Jack and Lottie, in 1933 and 1936, respectively. Fairbanks died in 1939. These painful events exacerbated a growing struggle with alcohol that plagued her until the end of her life.

Meanwhile, Pickford’s on- and off-screen achievements were fading from memory. Silent film, an art form she had helped pioneer and later dominated, was considered archaic. Fearing ridicule, Pickford did not allow her work to be exhibited in the rare revival screenings of silent films. Unfortunately, this lack of access prevented generations of moviegoers from discovering her work and allowed a distorted view of her movies to take hold.

The centenary in 2009 of Pickford’s first movie appearance prompted the publication of “Mary Pickford: Queen of the Movies”—a celebration of one of early cinema’s key figures. In a series of insightful essays, Pickford scholars (past and present) delve into her onscreen persona, her impact on modern celebrity culture, and her transformation from popular actress to national icon. Her frequent turns in nonwhite roles and as teenagers are explored, as is the glorification of the Pickford curls and her companionate marriage to Fairbanks. Other pieces examine her role as a Hollywood philanthropist and her interest in the fledging archival film movement and the preservation of her film legacy.

A scene from Mary Pickford’s “Tess of the Storm Country” (1922). Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Pickford’s life and career are illuminated by the presentation in the book of more than 235 images and illustrations. Most are from the personal collections of films and photographs she donated to the Library of Congress and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, respectively. Her collection of costumes and other memorabilia, housed at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, is also showcased. Together, these magnificent images and revealing essays offer a fascinating portrait of a brilliant woman whose influence on the film industry remains unmatched.

MORE INFORMATION

Audio-Visual Conservation at the Library of Congress 

A download of  the March-April issue of the LCM is available here. You can also view the archives of the Library’s former publication from 1993 to 2011.

Pic of the Week: Country Crooners

Country music singer-songwriters, Bob DiPiero, Ronnie Milsap, Lorrie Morgan and Jim Beavers perform on the Coolidge stage during the 2013 Country Music Association’s Songwriters Series Concert. Photos by Abby Brack Lewis

The Library of Congress Coolidge Auditorium turned Grand Ole Opry for a night last Wednesday, as members of the Country Music Association (CMA) took to the stage to sing their hits. Bob DiPiero returned to host the latest installment of the CMA Songwriters Series, which this time featured Ronnie Milsap, Loretta Lynn “Lorrie” Morgan and Jim Beavers. The concert series debuted in 2010.

Concerts are recorded and most are later made available on the Library of Congress website. Previous years’ concerts can be viewed here.

Four Score and Seven Years Ago …

Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address. Prints and Photographs Division.

The Gettysburg Address, which Abraham Lincoln delivered on Nov. 19, 1863, at the dedication of a national cemetery at the Gettysburg battlefield – the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War – is recognized as a literary masterpiece and one of the most important speeches in American history.

In three brief paragraphs, the president proclaimed the principles upon which the nation was founded, honored the men who had given “the last full measure of devotion” in its defense, and challenged all citizens to a renewed commitment to freedom and democracy.

The Library of Congress will display the John Hay copy of the Gettysburg Address for six weeks, starting today through May 4, in its “Civil War in America” exhibition, located in the Thomas Jefferson Building. The Library also will extend the exhibition from its original closing date of June 1, 2013 to Jan. 4, 2014.

The John Hay copy of the address is one of five known manuscript drafts and is considered the second draft, made by Lincoln shortly after his return to Washington from Gettysburg. Lincoln gave the copy to Hay, one of his two secretaries. Hay’s descendants donated the copy to the Library of Congress in 1916.

The Library also holds the earliest known of the five drafts – known as the Nicolay Copy – of the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln’s other secretary was John Nicolay, whom this copy was entrusted to.