Description

In 1800, Congress and President John Adams created the Library of Congress to serve the American government, which has become the world’s largest library and serves people from across the United States and the globe.

In 1802, Thomas Jefferson led the earliest efforts to organize and establish the Library of Congress, which had been created when the national government moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. At first, the library only extended borrowing privileges to members of Congress, the President, and Vice President. During the War of 1812, British invaders burned the Library of Congress, which destroyed the 3,000 books housed inside, so Jefferson donated his books.

After the Civil War, Librarian Ainsworth Rand Spofford directed the library and led its aggressive expansion after a long dormant period. Eventually, the Library of Congress expanded to encompass four buildings, including the James Madison Memorial Building, John Adams Building, and the Thomas Jefferson Building, which serves as the major tourist attraction, but the James Madison building contains most of the research rooms.

Currently, the Library of Congress contains more than 32 million books and print materials and 61 million manuscripts. Among its massive collection, the Library of Congress preserves the original rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and a Gutenberg Bible. In addition to its print materials, the Library of Congress has collected millions of sound recordings.

You will enjoy the attention to detail and subtle grasp of communal  spaces in each print,  making  these landmarks and their history a warm part of your home or office.  Each Panoramic Graphics edition print features artisanal inks on high quality lithographic paper and is authenticated by the Rich Ahern estate.   Grow your art collection or give as a gift.