"I cannot live without books: but fewer will suffice where amusement, and not use, is the only future object."

Thomas Jefferson to John Adams

Thomas Jefferson made this passionate statement about reading in June, 1815. Today, more than 3,000 books from Jefferson's personal library are still a part of the Library of Congress collections. The Library of Congress was established by an act of Congress in 1800 and was housed in the new Capitol until August 1814, when invading British troops set fire to the Capitol Building, burning and pillaging the contents of the small library.

Within a month of the fire, retired President Thomas Jefferson offered his personal library as a replacement. Jefferson had spent 50 years accumulating books, "putting by everything which related to America, and indeed whatever was rare and valuable in every science;" his library was considered to be one of the finest in the United States. In offering his collection to Congress, Jefferson anticipated controversy over the nature of his collection, which included books in foreign languages and volumes of philosophy, science, literature, and other topics not normally viewed as part of a legislative library.

In January 1815, Congress accepted Jefferson's offer, appropriating $23,950 for his 6,487 books, and the foundation was laid for a great national library. The Jeffersonian concept of universality, the belief that all subjects are important to the library of the American legislature, is the philosophy and rationale behind the comprehensive collecting policies of today's Library of Congress. Today's Library of Congress contains over 130,000,000 individual items in its collections.

Medium : 1 photomechanical print, halftone, color

Created/Published : April, 1890

Creator : Gilbert Stuart, artist, 1755-1828

Frame : 1" Maroon with gold trim, wood, Size : 11 x 15

Housed in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress

Price: $95.00

Availability: Usually ships in one week

Product #: FR0072