A New Journey Through History at the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is launching a diverse new exhibit, “Collecting Memories,” aimed at making the institution a more appealing destination for tourists and visitors. Opening to the public on June 13, the exhibit showcases an array of items from the library’s extensive archives, including ancient Hebrew texts, artifacts from President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, the first sketches of Spider-Man, and concert footage of Carlos Santana.

Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, emphasizes that these artifacts represent our shared history and hopes visitors will see themselves reflected in the exhibit. The initiative is part of a broader effort to attract more everyday tourists and school groups to the Library of Congress. David Rubenstein, a local philanthropist who contributed $10 million to the project, aims to make the Library of Congress a staple on tourists’ itineraries alongside monuments and museums. Rubenstein noted that many people don’t realize the Library of Congress is much more than just a library.

Located in the Thomas Jefferson Building, the exhibit hall is filled with dim lighting and various displays. Slide shows project images on the walls, and glass cases exhibit vivid tapestries, ancient texts, photos, and historical items like James Madison’s crystal flute and Abraham Lincoln’s pocketknife and wallet, which includes a Confederate $5 bill. The life of Omar Ibn Said, an African man forced into American slavery, is also featured through his autobiography written in Arabic.

David Mandel, the director of exhibits at the library, expressed the aim to make visitors feel completely immersed in the library’s collections. The exhibit will be open for about 18 months, until the end of 2025. To preserve delicate items, they will be rotated every six months. The exhibit features 127 items from the Library of Congress’s collection of over 178 million pieces.

The selections may appear random at first, but curators have included subtle connections and juxtapositions. For example, a 15th-century Hebrew text is displayed next to a colorful Ethiopian religious book, and photos from the first nuclear test are paired with a Japanese survivor’s handwritten account of the Hiroshima bombing.

One section focuses on refugee experiences, blending photos of Syrian refugees arriving in Michigan in 2015 with a 1949 identity document of Hannah Arendt, a Jewish historian and philosopher who was a German refugee classified as stateless in America.

A multiscreen video wall shows a variety of old videos, including home movies from the 1950s, Charlie Chaplin clips, and Rockettes performances. Ancient Sumerian Cuneiform tablets, some of the earliest examples of written language, are displayed alongside footage of D.C. native Duke Ellington performing while a Black dance troupe performs a Lindy Hop.

Carla Hayden highlights that the stories behind these items continue to inspire and amaze, even decades or centuries later. Visitors to the exhibit must obtain timed-entry passes, available for free on the Library of Congress website.