A Rare Chance at the Library of Congress
Twice a year, on Presidents Day and Columbus Day, the Library of Congress opens its doors to tourists and photographers to roam around and see the nation’s premiere library. Even though it was very cold and windy, I grabbed my camera and a couple of lenses to take advantage of this opportunity. My wife and her friend, both bookworms, accompanied me. And by “accompanied me” I mean my wife told me about it and said, “They lift the restrictions on photography there on those two days.”
After we passed through security and met up with her friend and fellow bookworm, Meredith, I said, “Forgive me, but I’m totally going to wander off and do my own thing.” Without missing a beat they both said, “So were we.”
So, while they gawked at the beauty of the Library of Congress and fantasized about all the books and reading they could do there, I hovered around looking for photos. And I wasn’t alone because there were dozens of other photographers who came to do the same thing. Each of us was leaning and ducking and tilting trying to get unique perspectives of this oft-restricted room.
In my opinion, the artwork and architecture in the Main Reading Room in the Library of Congress rivals that of many major European churches I’ve seen. It is very large and impressive with its beauty. The octagonal room is 100 feet wide and 160 feet tall with 236 desks filling the floor in concentric circles. At each vertex a symbolic statue divides the room and represents eight categories of human literature: Religion, Science, Commerce, Law, History, Poetry, Art, and Philosophy.
With that much art and beauty, I’m not sure I could get much reading or studying done.
