On These Walls: Inscriptions & Quotations in the Library of Congress

Cole, John

ISBN 10: 1857595459 / ISBN 13: 9781857595451

Published by Scala Arts Publishers Inc., 2008

About this Item

Gently used with minimal wear on the corners and cover. A few pages may contain light highlighting or writing, but the text remains fully legible. Dust jacket may be missing, and supplemental materials like CDs or codes may not be included. May be ex-library with library markings. Ships promptly!

Seller Inventory # DBV.1857595459.G

Bibliographic Details

• Title: On These Walls: Inscriptions & Quotations in the Library of Congress
• Publisher: Scala Arts Publishers Inc.
• Publication Date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1857595459
• ISBN 13: 9781857595451
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: good

About this title

Synopsis

• Offers a unique perspective on one of the most celebrated and visited library collections in the world • All new photography of the inscriptions and the fabulous art that adorn the Library's walls and ceilings • Of interest to all visitors to the Library of Congress and to scholars of art and architecture The three imposing buildings of the Library of Congress - the Thomas Jefferson Building, the John Adams Building, and the James Madison Memorial Building - are feats of architecture that hold the nation's knowledge on their shelves and in their drawers. But they are also shrines to the written word, as seen in the wealth of inscriptions on their elaborately decorated walls and ceilings. This beautifully illustrated book, featuring all new photography by distinguished photographer Carol M. Highsmith, offers readers a guide to these literary inscriptions and explains their significance. Ranging from quotations by great figures in American history, such as Jefferson and Madison, to the words of poets and philosophers from Shakespeare to Emerson, all glorify knowledge and pay debt to the book, which imparts its treasures to man. For those who have already walked the halls of the Library of Congress, as well as those who are touring them for the first time in these pages, On These Walls is a showcase of literature and art, an extraordinary portrait of an institution whose very ceilings, staircases, and doors fulfill its mission to collect and share the wisdom of all civilizations. John Y. Cole is founding director of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. He has published widely about books and libraries in society, as well as about the history of the Library of Congress. Carol M. Highsmith, a distinguished and widely published American photographer, has generously donated much of her work to the Library of Congress.

About the Author

John Y. Cole is founding director of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and a 33-year Library of Congress veteran. He has published widely about books and libraries in society as well as about the history of the Library of Congress.