Chapter 6: Art + Science: The Mezzanine

Transcript

On the walls and ceilings here, you’ll see a variety of murals, quotes and inscriptions that together demonstrate the intersection of disciplines that is the heart of the Library. I’ll offer an introduction to these images here, but please ask the staff and volunteers on duty for more information. You can start by taking either a left or a right as you stand in front of the Minerva Mosaic.

Above you, quotations in the gold rectangles all around the mezzanine come from many literary and scholarly sources, including poems and Shakespearean plays. They were selected at the time of the building’s construction by the Sixth Librarian of Congress, Ainsworth Rand Spofford, and then-president of Harvard University, Charles Eliot. Are there any quotes here that speak to you? A few of my favorites are, “Science is organized knowledge” by philosopher Herbert Spencer and, “Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers,” by poet Alfred Lord Tennyson. Tennyson’s name is also written in gold on the columns in the Great Hall.

The circular designs painted in cream and black that sit within triangular recesses on the ceiling above represent printers’ marks. These images, which include an assortment of animals, symbols, and scenes, were used by historic printing houses to identify and protect their work. The names of the printers are above or below each design. If you were a printer, what images might you use to make your mark? These marks also reference a core function of the Library that continues today – the U.S. Copyright Office. As a part of the Library of Congress, the Copyright Office promotes creativity and free expression by administering and providing expert advice on the nation’s copyright laws.

Female figures in circular murals in these corridors represent muses in the areas of science and literature. They demonstrate that the Library of Congress is here to help you explore ideas across disciplines and areas of interest.

And, finally, rectangular blue and green panels at each corner of the ceilings show images of sports. In one corridor, you’ll see a representation of the Olympic Games, referencing the return of the modern Olympics, which took place one year before this building opened. On the other corridor, closest to the entrance of the Thomas Jefferson’s Library exhibit, you’ll see images of the modern sports of American football and baseball. These murals reflect the increasing importance and popularity of these sports at the end of the 19th century. Both baseball and football are represented in the Library’s collection. Among the many treasures here, the Library holds and preserves an extensive set of early baseball cards. You can see them online at loc.gov/collections. There is truly something for everyone here at the Library of Congress.