This past Thursday I was privileged to attend an exhibition/demonstration “From Conflict to Creativity” that featured amazing works of art by military veterans. The event was held in Washington D.C. in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. I managed to capture a few images of the buildings’s Great Hall with my iPhone as I passed through it on the way to the event room.
There was so much color and pattern and detail everywhere in the Great Hall that I felt almost overwhelmed. One of my favorite elements was the skylights in the ceiling that I have shown in the second image—I love stained glass windows. The final photo shows a painting called Melpomene by Edward Emerson Simmons.
“When its doors opened to the public in 1897, the Library of Congress represented an unparalleled national achievement, the “largest, costliest, and safest” library in the world. Its elaborately decorated interior, embellished by works of art from nearly fifty American painters and sculptors, linked the United States to classical traditions of learning and simultaneously flexed American cultural and technological muscle.” If you want additional information on the art and architecture of this Great Hall, check out this link on the Library of Congress website, the source of the quotation that I used to begin this paragraph.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
The architecture there is stunning. If I lived close by my web site wouldn’t have a single critter published. Great shots !!
Like most folks who live in the DC suburbs, I rarely go into the city except when I have visitors. It’s a little crazy that I don’t take better advantage of all of the benefits of being here, like the fact that admission to most of the Smithsonian museums is free. 🙂
It’s the same with most people. Born and raised n NYC went to the 12th floor of the Empire State once, the Statue of Liberty only after I had been living in Connecticut for 15 years 😂😂😂. I did take advantage of the museums, but I was in walking distance.
Speaking of costliest, I can’t begin to fathom the cost today. And I seriously doubt that the architecture would be nearly as pleasing. Todays structures are so sterile. This building is gorgeous and I can understand how one might be overwhelmed by the endless beauty to be seen with every footstep. It must have been difficult to not photograph non-stop.
If I hadn’t been going to an event, I could have lost myself in that Great Hall for hours. There are some other pretty awesome areas of the building to explore. Admission is free, but you have to sign up for timed-entry passes in advance. I think I will probably be making a return visit there some time this summer.
Is the timed entry also limited time or can you stay as long as you wish once entered? Usually there is no time limit in the places where I’ve had to make reservations but I imagine in D.C. there are a lot of people visiting all the places of interest.
I think that the timed pass is only for the entry, but I am not 100% sure. Mostly I think it is just a way for them to try to keep things from getting overcrowded. I did note on the website that on many days all of the slots are already filled.
The Jefferson Building is my hands down favorite building in Washington, DC. I haven’t been there in such a long time (used to live a couple of blocks from it back in the 70s). Thank you for sharing your images. P.S. You probably know that Melpomeni is the muse of tragedy. How suitable for our country at this moment!
I must confess that I had no idea she was the muse of tragedy, but your point is definitely well-taken. We live in crazy times.
Very elaborate architecture. What a stunning building!
Thanks, Chris. The building is pretty incredible. I need to trek into the city more often to see the beautiful architecture and museums in Washington DC. 🙂
What a wonderful building 🙂 Thanks for sharing !
The building is a true national treasure.
Oh wow, the architecture. I love stained glass, too! You have a good eye for beautiful captures!