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April 6, 2000
Press contact: Donna Urschel (202) 707-9191
Public contact: Center for the Book (202) 707-5221

Library of Congress To Hold Discussion on "Architectural Alphabet" Book About Jefferson Building

Blaine Marshall of the Library's Publishing Office and book designer Robert L. Wiser of Archetype Press Inc. will present a slide-illustrated talk about a new Bicentennial publication, The Library of Congress: An Architectural Alphabet (Pomegranate Communications, 2000) on Monday, April 17, 12 noon, in Dining Room A, sixth floor, James Madison Memorial Building. The event is free and open to the public.

The talk is part of the Center of the Book's "Books & Beyond" series and is cosponsored with the Library's Publishing Office.

"This is an elegant book that brings the Jefferson Building to life in a new way," said Ralph Eubanks, the Library's director of publishing. "Blaine Marshall is the author and picture editor, but she was assisted by Peggy Wagner, Clarke Allen, and Heather Burke from our office and by specialists from several different Library divisions. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington wrote the foreword and Ford Peatross, the Library's architectural curator, gave us a succinct and incisive introduction."

From "A" for an arch framing a semicircular painting on the second floor of the Library's Great Hall to "Z" for the zigzag in the mosaic floor in the Southwest Gallery's Pavilion of Discoverers, the book presents a visual tour featuring many out-of-the-ordinary architectural details. The illustrations and descriptions are joined by a colorful alphabet drawn from the Library's rare book and manuscript collections.

A 34-page book containing 27 color photographs, one black-and-white photograph, and 26 historical color illustrations of letters of the alphabet, The Library of Congress: An Architectural Alphabet is available for $17.95 in major bookstores and in the Library of Congress Sales Shop. For credit card orders, call 202-707-0204.

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PR 00-055
4/6/00
ISSN 0731-3527