About barbara

I'm sure you are wondering how the blog was named, "The Enchanted Manor". Well, this blog will be like home to me and I wanted a name that reflected my different interests. During a normal day you can find me in several rooms of the house. Maybe I'll be in the living room decorating, or in my craft room working on a project, or in the dining room planning a great dinner party or at the computer in my office planning a great vacation. When you come to visit my blog you might find me in any room! Please return often for ideas and inspiration because this blog will be about decor, craft, celebration and travel. So, welcome to the "Enchanted Manor". Come in, sit down and let's talk!

Craft – Miniature Bottle Necklaces

Posted on February 4, 2014 by barbara

I have seen a variety of miniature bottle necklaces on many different craft websites. These miniature bottle necklaces would make great gifts for children or adults and they could also make wonderful paper favors for a little girl’s birthday celebration. For this post I will go into detail on the supplies needed for several themed miniature bottle necklaces with ideas for several more.

Supplies for miniature bottle necklaces

In general, the supplies need to make a miniature bottle necklace are very minimal but the important thing to remember is that the shape of the bottle, the content used inside the bottle, the selection of chain or ribbon used to wear the bottle and any additional charms attached to the bottle. All these elements will create the unique style for each individual miniature bottle necklace.

Miniature bottles – Miniature bottles come in a variety of sizes. The content of the bottle or personal preference should be taken into consideration when selecting a miniature bottle. The bottles can be found in the jewelry section of most major craft stores and they range in size from very small to large.

CRAFT NOTE: For the craft projects shown in this post I used miniature bottle sizes ranging in size from one inch to over two inches in length.

Content for the miniature bottle necklaces – The content of each bottle is defined as the filling used inside the bottle necklace, some suggested contents can be glitter, sand, or maybe a liquid such as honey or colored water. Here is another filling suggestion … who remembers those mustard seed necklaces from their childhood? Others content ideas are small watermelon seeds, tiny seashells or pine cones or acorns. The content selection is only limited by the imagination and the size of the bottle.

CRAFT NOTE: The important thing to remember is that no matter what the content is used for the miniature bottle necklace, the lid needs to be securely attached to prevent the contents from leaking or spilling.

Necklace used to hang or wear the miniature bottle – The miniature bottle will be hung on a necklace to wear as a piece of jewelry. The necklaces can variety in style, such as chains, thin ribbon or silk cords. The length of the necklace is determined by personal preference.

Optional charms – A variety of charms can be attached to the bottle and the charm is usually suggested by the content of the bottle, such as a bottle filled with snow-like glitter has a snowflake charm or a bottle filled with sand has a starfish charm or a bottle filled with honey has a bee charm. CRAFT NOTE: The use of a charm attached to the miniature bottle necklace will add personality and interest to the jewelry’s appearance.

The following are few ideas for miniature bottle necklaces:

Wish or Fairy-dust miniature bottle necklace

This is one of the most common of styles for a miniature bottle necklace. Shown below are two wish miniature bottle necklaces. The bottles are filled glitter (one silver glitter and the other gold glitter), worn on a silver chain necklace and with a special “wish” charm attached (one has a silver fairy charm and the other a silver wishbone charm)

Seasonal -themed miniature bottle necklace

This first seasonal miniature bottle necklace is filled with white glitter that is meant to resemble snow. The bottle is accessorized on a silver chain necklace with a silver snowflake charm attached.

This Valentine-themed miniature bottle necklace is a lovely idea for a present to give to a loved one or perhaps a gift for a child’s special teacher. The bottle is filled with red glitter accessorized on a silver chain necklace with a silver heart charm attached.

Here is a cute idea to wear green on this Irish special holiday; it is a bottle filled with green glitter, worn on a silver chain necklace with a silver green enameled four-leaf clover charm attached. Another idea for a St. Patrick Day themed miniature bottle necklace is a bottle filled with gold glitter with a small leprechaun charm attached.

This miniature bottle necklace is a wonderful way to remember the beach or a special summer vacation. The bottle is filled with sand, worn on a silver chain necklace with a silver enameled starfish charm attached. Another idea for a beach-themed miniature bottle necklace is to add small seashells inside the bottle with just a little amount of sand.

“Honey-pot” miniature bottle necklace

This sweet idea for a miniature bottle necklace, it is a bottle filled with honey, worn on a silver chain necklace with a bronze-colored metal bee charm attached. When wrapping the bottle necklace as a present here is a special idea – put it in a small gift box and include a note referring to the “sweetness of life”.

As you can see from the ideas above, there are endless combinations for making these simple and inexpensive miniature bottle necklaces for any occasion and holiday.

Clark Gable’s Birthday

Posted on February 1, 2014 by barbara

When I was a young girl I remember watching Clark Gable in the old classic movies and two of my favorites were “Gone with the Wind” in which Gable starred with Vivian Leigh in the epic Civil War drama and “It Happened One Night” in which he starred opposite Claudette Colbert in a story about a wise-cracking newspaper reporter and a feisty heiress on the run to avoid her wedding. I thought he was the most handsome man I had ever seen … except of course for my Dad! A funny story is that I think my Dad looked a lot like Clark Gable when he was younger with his perfectly trimmed skinny moustache and the fashionable way of dressing in great suits during the 1940s. (In his later years, my Dad started to look like Walt Disney to me … but that is another story for another time!!)

William Clark Gable was a born on February 1, 1901 in Cadiz, Ohio to an oil well driller father named William Gable and his wife Adeline Hershelman. Sadly, when Gable was only 10 months old his mother died and in 1903 Gable’s father married Jennie Dunlap. The young Gable was very tall for his age and because of his stepmother’s influence he always very clean and wore nice clothes. His stepmother gave Gable piano lessons but he also like to work on cars with his father. Gable’s father wanted him to hunt, fish and do hard physical work but Gable enjoyed reading and he liked to recite Shakespeare’s sonnets. By 1917, his father had financial problems and the family moved to a small farm in Ravenna near Akron, Ohio. Instead of working on the farm as his father expected him to do, Gable left to work in the Goodrich tire factory in Akron.

By the time Gable turned 21, his stepmother had died and his father mover to Tulsa. Gable was inspired to become an actor and found work in several different theater companies that eventually had him moving to Oregon. He supported his amateur acting career by working odd jobs as a logger and a salesman for a local department store. It was while working in the local theater company that Gable meet Laura Hope Crews who encouraged him to pursue acting as a full-time career (many years latter Crews would play the part of Aunt Pittypat in Gone with the Wind).

Around this time Gable met a woman that would soon become a great influence in his life, she was Josephine Dillon a Portland theater manager and she later became his acting coach and personal manager. She helped Gable to improve his stage presence by working on voice control, facial expressions and body posture. She also offered him financial aid to improve his appearance by getting his teeth repaired, his hair styled and he started wearing better clothes. With those personal improvements and better acting skills Dillon decided that Gable was ready to attempt a film career.

In 1924, Gable and Dillon, who were now married, went to Hollywood and for the next few years Gable was only able to find work as an extra in silent movies. Unfortunately Gable was not offered any substantial film roles and he decided to return to the stage. By 1927 Gable was working for a Houston theater company and with his good looks and improved acting skills he soon had moderate success as a local matinee idol. Gable and Dillon now decided to try their luck in New York.

Gable received good reviews from his parts on Broadway but then the Great Depression hit and combined with a new form of entertainment, “the talking pictures”, many plays were cancelled making acting roles very harder to find. On a personal level, Gable had recently meet a Texas socialite named Maria “Ria” Langham and he quickly divorced Dillon. Gable now decided to give Hollywood another try and in 1930 MGM studios offered him a small contract and he began playing supporting roles in low-budget films and Gable starting receiving attention from the movie fans.

In the beginning most of the roles Gable played were villainous characters but with the increase in fan mail to the studios, MGM started developing Gable into a strong, manly and rugged character for larger parts. In some of his first leading man roles he played opposite many equally strong yet feminine women, such as Barbara Stanwyck, Greta Garbo, Marion Davies. He went on to work with Joan Crawford in eight films; she was his personal favorite actresses to work with. He also worked with Myrna Loy in seven films, Jean Harlow in six films, Lana Turner in four films and he worked with Norma Sherer and Ava Gardner in three films each. His final film was “The Misfits” in which he starred opposite Marilyn Monroe.

Gable received his first Oscar nomination for his lead role in the 1934 movie “It Happened One Night”. There is an interesting Hollywood story that goes as follows: MGM studio head, Louis B. Mayer, lent Gable to Columbia Pictures as punishment when Gable started refusing to take roles that he felt had bad movie scripts and deemed inferior to his newfound leading man status. Gable was cast opposite Claudette Colbert with Frank Capra as the film’s director. The movie went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and both Gable and Colbert won for Best Actor and Best Actress. Gable had his sweet revenge against Mayer and he returned to MGM an even bigger star!

Gable was now on a roll and he received another Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Fletcher Christian in the 1935 movie “Mutiny on the Bounty”. He did not win but he was now receiving the recognition for his acting that he so rightly deserved.

By this time Gable was separated from his second wife and he had met the love of his life, actress Carole Lombard. They had appeared in the 1932 “No Man of Her Own”. At the time Gable was married to Langham and Lombard was married to actor William Powell. Their romance started in 1936 after getting reacquainted at a Hollywood party and they were soon madly in love. Gable felt that Lombard was a woman he could totally depend on for companionship and she learned to enjoy all the hobbies that he loved, such as camping, fishing and hunting.

Langham was giving Gable are difficult time in obtaining a divorce and it proved to be a very lengthy and expensive process. Then the opportunity of starring in “Gone with Wind” came about by popular demand for the fans for Gable to play the character of Rhett Butler. The movie was destined to be his most famous role and more importantly to Gable it was an opportunity for a larger salary and that allowed him to finalize a divorce settlement with Langham. Happily, during the filming of “Gone with the Wind”, Gable and Lombard were finally able to get married. Gable also received his third Academy Award Best Actor nomination for the role in the movie but he did not win much to the public’s disappointment.

The marriage of Gable and Lombard proved to be the happiest period in his personal life. They led a very simple life and enjoyed their time together away from the pressures of Hollywood. They lived on a farm in the San Fernando Valley just over the hill from the movie studios. Sadly, their happiness was cut short when in 1942 Lombard was killed in a plane crash during a tour to promote the selling of war bonds. Her mother and agent were also killed on the flight along with another 19 passengers.

Gable went into a deep depression and following Lombard’s death he joined the U.S. Army Air Forces. After his military training Second Lieutenant Gable was sent overseas to England. Gable flew in five combat missions during World War II but after a close call during one of the flights MGM studio executives urged the military to have him reassigned to non-combat duties. He returned stateside in 1943 to complete a film he had been previously working on. In 1944 Gable was promoted to major but no further military orders came and he was relieved from active duty at his request and he was officially discharged.

After the war, Gable returned to Hollwood and made 27 more films. Gable was to become involved in several affairs with young stars such as Virgina Grey, Paulette Goddard and Gene Tierney. He also had an affair with Grace Kelly while they were filming the movie “Mogambo”. He married again in 1949 to a British divorcee, Sylvia Ashley but that relationship quickly ended in divorce in 1952.

During the early 1950s things were changing in Hollywood and Gable was unhappy with the mediocre roles he was receiving from MGM and in 1953 he did not renew his contract with the studio and he began to work as an independent actor not afilliated with a particular studio. In 1955, Gable married his fifth wife, Kay Williams and former model and actress. Gable went on to appear in several unsuccessful movies and his health was being to fail. Gable’s last film was the 1961 movie “The Misfits” costarring Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Cliff. Many movie critics consider it on of Gable’s finest performances.

Gable died on November 16, 1960 from a coronary thrombosis ten days after suffering a severe heart attack. At the time, his wife Kay was pregnant and sadly she gave birth to their son, named John Clark Gable, on March 20, 1961 at the same hospital where four months earlier she had lost her husband. Clark Gable is interred in the mausoleum at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California beside his beloved third wife, Carole Lombard.

Travel – Library of Congress (Part Three)

Posted on January 31, 2014 by barbara

The Library of Congress is such an interesting building and during my research there was so much information that I had to write three different posts concerning the magnificent Thomas Jefferson Building. In the first post that featured the Library of Congress, Library of Congress – Part One, I discussed the origin and history of the Library. In the second post, Library of Congress – Part Two, I concentrated on the spectacular art and architectural details of the Thomas Jefferson Building and the grand Great Hall. Because there is so much detail to the Jefferson Building, I wrote this third post about the famous Reading Room of the Library of Congress.

Having visited the Library of Congress on a trip to Washington in 2002, I became fascinated with the beauty of the art and architecture of the Jefferson Building. There are so many details in the building and everything seems to have special meanings and symbolism designed to show America’s love of learning, science and culture. The Library of Congress has been featured in several books; two books that I especially enjoyed were “The Collectors” by David Baldacci and “Murder at the Library of Congress by Margaret Truman. In fact, the Reading Room is shown on the cover of “The Collectors” and that is the area of the Jefferson Building that will be the topic of this post.

The Reading Room is the highlight of the one-hour guided tour of the Library of Congress and can be seen from the Visitor’s Gallery. The Library of Congress is open to the public for academic research and for access to the Reading Room with a portion of the Library’s vast collection visitors are required to apply for a Reader Identification Card which is issued in the nearby Madison building. To apply for a Reader ID Card the person must be at least 16 years old, a United States Citizen and a government issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, state ID card or passport, is required for valid identification purposes. For more information about the Reader ID Card, please see the Library of Congress website at www.loc.gov/visit/tours

The Reading Room is a large octagonal room located in the center of the Jefferson Building. Upon entering the room, look up at the impressive dome ceiling which towers 125 feet from the main floor of the Reading Room. The coffered dome is made of stucco which is attached to an iron and steel frame and is designed by sculptor Albert Weinert. The dome decreases in size toward the opening at the center of the dome making the dome appear larger. At the top is a circular area with a painting by Howland Blashfield that depicts the Evolution of Civilization and shows twelve large figures that represent the various countries around the world that have made important contributions to civilization. An additional area of 35 feet rises to form the lantern area of the dome with eight windows and then another smaller shallow dome that covers the lantern area with an additional painting by Blashfield. A separate exterior dome is built over the entire interior dome to protect it from being damaged.

Now, take a look around the large Reading Room. At the edges of the room where several sets of columns form eight piers that support a series of arches that enclose the entire room. The piers are set forward into the room by 10 feet creating a series of two-story alcoves that are behind large Italian marble screens. Standing on top of the piers are eight almost 11 foot tall ivory white plaster statues that symbolically represent the important subjects needed to create and live a civilized life: religion, history, art, poetry, philosophy, law, science and commerce. On the frieze below the statues each title is inscribed in gilded letters and each statue is shown holding the appropriate symbols and objects that pertain to the different subjects.

Above the Reading Room alcoves and positioned along the balustrade are a series of sixteen bronze statues of men that have contributed important thoughts or actions that have effected civilization. The statues are arranged in pairs that flank the piers dividing the alcoves and correspond with the eight important subjects on top the piers, such as Moses and Saint Paul for their contributions to religion, Herodotus and Gibbon for history, Michelangelo and Beethoven for art, Homer and Shakespeare for poetry, Plato and Lord Bacon for philosophy, Solon and Chancellor Kent for law, Newton and Joseph Henry for science and finally Columbus and Robert Fulton for commerce.

Also positioned between the piers are a series of eight semicircular stained-glass windows which measures 32 feet across at their base. In the center of each window is the Great Seal of the United States and displayed following the curve of the window are to the right and the left are the seals of individual states and territories. In between each seal is a torch and the top curve of the windows are surrounded by a border of laurel and rosettes. In each window there are three seals on each side of the United States Seal; making six seals per window and multiplied by eight windows for a total of 48 seals. The seals are listed in chronological order from the dates that they were added to the union. At the time the three territories of New Mexico (1912), Arizona (1912) and Oklahoma (1907) were not officially states until the noted dates and Alaska (1959) did not become a state until much later.

Finally, while standing in the Reading Room, look above the entrance passageway for a glimpse of the most ornate decorations in the Jefferson Building which is the John Flanagan clock. This large bronze sculpture is a life-size version of Father Time who is carrying a scythe in one hand and on either side of him are maidens with children figurines that represent the four seasons of a year. In keeping with the entire sculpture theme of measuring the passage of time, there is a four foot in diameter clock with a gilded sunburst and clock hands that are decorated with semiprecious stones.

As you can see from the description and pictures of the art and architecture of the Reading Room, and for that matter the entire Jefferson Building, immense thought went into the decorations of the Library of Congress to convey important themes that were needed to make our country, the United States of America, a strong and prosperous nation.

Travel – Library of Congress (Part Two)

Posted on January 30, 2014 by barbara

During a trip to Washington, D.C. in 2002 we were fortunate to visit the Library of Congress and it was a wonderful and fascinating experience. There are four Library of Congress facilities located in Washington, D.C. The Thomas Jefferson Building was completed in 1897, the John Adams Building in 1939 and the James Madison Memorial Building in 1980 and there is an Audio-Visual Conservation facility located on the Packard Campus in nearby Virginia. The previous post, Library of Congress – Part One, I discussed the origin and history of the Library. In this post I will concentrate on the spectacular art and architectural details of the Jefferson Building. Because there is so much detail to the Thomas Jefferson Building, please check out the next post, Library of Congress – Part Three, which will discuss the famous Reading Room.

If you are planning a visit to Washington, D.C. we highly recommend the Library of Congress free one-hour guided tours of the historic Jefferson Building. During the tour visitors will learn about the history and collections of the Library as well as the architecture and the meanings of the symbolic art displayed within the interior of the Jefferson Building. The guided tours are available Monday through Saturday during the year and no prior reservations are required but visitors are advised to check in at the Ground Floor Information Deck. Self-guides tours of the Jefferson Building and current exhibitions are also available during days that the building is open to the public. For more information, please check the Library of Congress website at www.loc.gov/visit/tours

TRAVEL NOTE: At the time that we visited Washington and the Library of Congress Jefferson Building I had never seen a building with so many lovely architectural details and beautiful artwork, it was a truly a wonderful experience! I could have stayed longer than the one hour guided tour because there were so many interesting details throughout the Jefferson Building.

The main building of the Library of Congress is the Jefferson Building, which is located near the United States Capitol Building. The building is approximately 470 feet in length and 340 feet in depth and it is three stories in height and the facade is constructed of granite. The floor plan is basically divided into four sections with an octagon shaped area, known as the Reading Room, at the intersection of the different sections known as pavilions. Overhead in the Reading Room there is a large dome and on the exterior of the building the dome is topped with a symbolic gilded torch which is known as the “Torch of Learning”.

Outside on the west side of the Jefferson building is “The Court of Neptune” fountain created by sculptor Roland Hinton Perry. The semicircular fountain extends to 50 feet wide with three niches that suggest sea grottos and in the center is the 12 foot tall bronze sculpture of the sea god Neptune and on either side are sea nymphs which appear to being riding sea-horses. Additional sea creatures such as dolphins, frogs and turtles also appear in the fountain or behind on the granite walls and there are a series of water jets with more water flowing from the mouths of monstrous sea serpents. At night the fountain is beautifully lighted.

At the west side of the Jefferson Building, which is considered the main entrance, are three arched doorways with a set of impressive bronze doors created by Frederick MacMonnies. The center door features two bas reliefs of women that represent the humanities and intellect. The semi-circular bronze piece or lunette above the door shows the seated goddess Minerva and on either side of her are two winged cherubs set to carry out the printed word as her gift to mankind. The west facade of the building rises to showcase a second story balcony with a series of windows which are marked above by the busts of nine of the world’s great writers.

As visitors proceed into the Jefferson Building, they will pass through an elaborate entrance area or vestibule and then proceed into the Great Hall. The grand Great Hall is a visual delight and there are a number of pieces of art and architecture with special meanings and symbolism designed to show America’s love of learning, science and culture. First, take a look at the intricate marble flooring which contains several brass inlays in the elegant patterned design of red and yellow Italian marble. In the center is a large sun marked with the four compass points that coincide with alignment of the building. At the outer edges of the floor are twelve brass inlays representing the signs of the Zodiac and alternating brass inlays of floral rosettes which are all set in red French marble surrounded by a border of white Italian marble.

Standing at the entrance to the Great Hall and looking directing across the room is the Library’s Commemorative Arch which leads to the entrance of the Reading Room. Large double marble columns flank both sides and above the arch are the words “Library of Congress” inscribed in large gilded letters. Then, above that is another inscription cut into the marble which gives the information pertaining to the Thomas Jefferson Building with a list of the pertinent dates and architects involved in the construction. While standing in the Great Hall, look up to see the beautiful cove ceiling which is highlighted by six stained-glass panels. In addition, the ceiling is decorated with aluminum leaf, Italian-style paintings, paneled carvings and wonderful winged figures carved in plaster by Philip Martiny are also featured in the corners of the ceiling.

Now, before ascending to the second floor, take a look at the intricate figurines also by Philip Martiny that decorate the staircases found on either side of the Great Hall. Two sets of figurines decorate the staircase buttresses; the south staircase features two cherubs representing America and Africa with a globe in between them showing the two continents and the north staircase features two cherubs representing Asia and Europe with the globe between them showing those two continents. As the stairs ascend to the second floor take a look at a series of eight figurines on each of the staircase bannisters, the cherubs represent the various occupations and pursuits of life. The south staircase features a mechanic signifying inventions, a hunter, a child holding a glass of wine, a farmer and a fisherman, a soldier represented by a child holding a gun, a chemist and a cook. The north staircase features a gardener, an entomologist holding a specimen box, a student, a printer, a musician, a physician, an electrician and an astronomer. At the top of the each staircase, the two balustrades feature a trio of cherubs, one set represents the arts of painting, architecture and sculpture and the other set represents literary topics of comedy, poetry and tragedy. At the bottom of each staircase, standing on the newel posts are bronze female figurines holding an electrified torch light. The figures are decorated in a classical style with laurel wreaths and draped clothing.

One final area adjacent to the Great Hall and located on the second floor is the entrance to the Visitor’s Gallery of the Main Reading Room. After ascending another staircase and before entering the Visitor’s Gallery, is a magnificent marble mosaic by Elihu Vedder. Located at top of the staircase landing is a 15 feet high and 9 feet wide arched panel which features Minerva, the goddess of peace and the guardian of civilization. In the mosaic she is depicted as former warrior who has set aside her armor after a victorious battle and she is now looking towards prosperity but is still prepared to protect her country and holds a staff in one hand as she stands vigil against any future enemies. In the right lower portion is a small statue of Victory which is shown as a winged woman standing on a small globe. In Minerva’s other hand she hold a scroll with the long list of subjects that are needed for a society to flourish, such as Law, Statistics, Sociology, Philosophy, etc.

As visitors pass through the doors at the top of the stairs, they will enter into the Visitor’s Gallery that overlooks the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress. In the next post, Library of Congress – Part Three, I will discuss the art and architecture of the famous Reading Room.

After viewing the Reading Room, I encourage visitors to explore the second floor where there are even more beautiful decorations along the corridors and in the various rooms. Unfortunately, the art and architecture on this floor are too numerous to mention but if you are interested in further details of these areas of the Thomas Jefferson Building, I would highly recommend a visit to the Library of Congress website, www.loc.gov/visit/tours for additional information and photos. Another source of information about the history, art and architecture of the Library of Congress is a wonderful book, “The Library of Congress – the Art and Architecture of the Thomas Jefferson Building”, published by W.W. Norton and Company.

Travel – Library of Congress (Part One)

Posted on January 29, 2014 by barbara

On a visit to Washington, D.C. in 2002 I fell in love with the Library of Congress building. The building was unlike anything I had ever seen before, the architecture and interior decorations were beautifully detailed. In researching the topic, there is so much information about the Library of Congress that there will be three separate posts. In the first post I will examine the origin and history of the Library of Congress. In the second post, Library of Congress – Part Two, I will go into more detail about some of the interesting features of the Thomas Jefferson Building’s exterior and parts of the interior. Because there is so much detail to the building, please check out an additional post, Library of Congress – Part Three, which will discuss the famous Reading Room.

A brief history of the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the main research library for the United States Congress and is considered one of the largest libraries in the world. Although the library is open to the public for general research purposes, only members of Congress, the Supreme Court justices and high-ranking government officials may check out the books.

In 1800, President John Adams signed an Act of Congress designating that the seat of the United States federal government would be moved from Philadelphia, PA and relocated to the new capital city of Washington. As part of the legislation, $5000 was intended for the purchase of books that would be necessary for the use of the United States Congress. 740 books and 3 maps were ordered from London, England and a new research library was established and conveniently located in a special room within the United States Capitol building.

Later, Thomas Jefferson was to play an important role in the history of the Library of Congress. In 1802, President Jefferson signed into law legislation to establish a permanent building for the Library of Congress and also a permanent Librarian of Congress was appointed to oversee and regulate the administration of the Library. Unfortunately, before the structure could be built, invading British forces during the War of 1812 set fire to the city of Washington. At the time the small library of 3,000 books was still located in the Capitol building and much of the collection was destroyed.

To recover from the loss, the now former President Jefferson offered his entire personal collection of 6,487 books to the United States government to replace the damaged books for the Library of Congress. Jefferson had acquired his vast collection of books over a period of 50 years and the books covered such topics as literature, philosophy, science and architecture including many foreign language books. By 1817, Congress had officially accepted the generous offer from Jefferson and the books were sold for $23,950.

Plans were now needed to build a permanent structure for the Library of Congress and a design competition was held and the winning architects were John Smithmeyer and Paul Pelz. Construction started on the new building in 1890 and by 1897 it was completed at a cost of almost $6.5 million dollars and it eventually became known as the Thomas Jefferson Building. Over the years as the Library’s collection and administration staff grew and more buildings were added, the John Adams Building was completed in 1939 and the James Madison Memorial Building in 1980. In addition, there is an Audio-Visual Conservation facility of the Library of Congress located on the Packard Campus in Virginia.

Currently, the Library of Congress collections includes more than 32 million books and other printed materials in 470 different languages. The Library has one the largest rare book collections in North America with items such as a draft of the Declaration of Independence and a Gutenberg Bible. In addition, the Library has over 1 million issues from the past three centuries of newspapers from around the world, over 5 million maps, 120,000 comic book issues, 6 million items of sheet music, 3 million sound recordings and over 14 million prints and photographic images. The Library of Congress estimates that their collections fill over 830 miles of bookshelves.

The Library is also a base for the United States Copyright Office and holds records for both copyright registration and protection. All publishers are required to submit two copies of their published books and nearly 22,000 of these new publications arrive at the Library every day. The Library does not keep all of these items but trades with other libraries around the world or donates them to schools or city & state libraries within the United States. In addition, on the average 10,000 new items such as newspaper, magazines, maps or prints are also received daily.

The Library of Congress is open to the public for academic research and for access to the Reading Room and the Library’s vast collection visitors are required to apply for a Reader Identification Card which is issued in the nearby Madison building. To apply for a Reader ID Card the person must be at least 16 years old, a United States Citizen and a government issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, state ID card or passport, is required for valid identification purposes. For more information about the Reader ID Card, please see the Library of Congress website at www.loc.gov/visit/tours

TRAVEL NOTE: During our visit to the Library of Congress we applied for a Reader’s ID card, it was a relatively short process and it is a really fun and free souvenir!!

The Library of Congress also offers free one-hour guided tours of the historic Thomas Jefferson Building Monday through Saturday during the year. During the tour visitors will learn about the history and collections of the Library as well as the symbolic art and architecture of the spectacular Thomas Jefferson Building. No prior reservations for the guided tours are required but when you arrive please check in at the Ground Floor Information Deck to meet the docents. Self-guides tours of the building and current exhibitions are also available any time during days that the building is open. For more information, please check out the Library of Congress website at www.loc.gov/visit/tours

Please check out the upcoming post, Library of Congress – Part Two, for more details about some of the interesting features of the beautiful Thomas Jefferson Building’s exterior and interior.

The Enchanted Manor

a lifestyle blog by Barbara Jones

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Craft – Miniature Bottle Necklaces

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