Trip to U.S. Library of Congress

Yesterday I was able to take a part in a small group tour of the U.S. Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. We were introduced to a treasure trove of original art being preserved in the Prints and Photographs Division followed by a gathering of selected material in the Serial and Government Publications Division.

We saw some pieces from the Small Press Expo collection, including Jim Rugg and the wonderful 2012 poster illustrated by Becky Dreistadt. (Speaking of which, my SPX banner art is also in the collection). We also saw the first appearance of Spider-Man in Amazing Fantasy #15 comic book plus original art by Thomas Nast, Garry Trudeau, Peggy Bacon, Rose O'Neill, Eric Drooker, Charles Vess, Rube Goldberg, and more!

I learned about how the material is preserved from aging as best as possible and how the librarians reference the content. In the photo above you will see how a protective box can be destroyed by florescent light damage, keep in mind that this is an acid-free box. Digital Conversion Specials are hard to work to properly scan and photograph the material as well.

Here is the hallway of over 14,000 Herblock pieces that are achieved. They also have around 4,000 New Yorker cartoons and tons more!

Now Magic Bullet #6 (Washington, D.C.'s free comics newspaper) has been added to the collection at the U.S. Library of Congress! You can also get your hands on a physical issue at one of the locations listed here. Hurry before all 5,000 copies are gone!

A lot of people don't realize you can make reservations with the librarians to view up to 15 objects per day. Thanks to the librarians for the tour and selecting materials for viewing. It was an experience I will not forget.

More photos can be found in the Curls Studio Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151470211282381.1073741825.50763422380&type=1