“unquestionably the choicest collection of books in the US”1 The 1815 Sale of Thomas Jefferson’s Library to the Nation Summary Timeline To Learn More August 24, 1814 – British destroy the United States Capitol and congressional Wilson, Douglas L. Jefferson's Books. library Charlottesville: Thomas Jefferson August 28, 1814 – Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, 1996. receives news of the destruction September 21, 1814 – Jefferson writes to Malone, Dumas. Thomas Jefferson Samuel Harrison Smith to offer to sell his and the Library of Congress. library to Congress Washington: Library of Congress, February 3, 1815 – Jefferson receives 1977. official notice of the approval of the sale March 18 to April 18, 1815 – Jefferson Hayes, Kevin J. The Road to reviews and organizes library Monticello: The Life and Mind of May 2 to 8, 1815 – Ten wagonloads of Thomas Jefferson. New York: Oxford books leave Monticello for Washington, University Press, 2008. D.C. May 8-14, 1815 – Books arrive in Rosenstock, Barb. Thomas Jefferson Washington, D.C. and are placed on the Builds A Library. Honesdale, PA: third floor of Blodget’s Hotel which Calkins Creek, 2013. served as the temporary Capitol for Congress Thomas Jefferson’s Library. http:// July 3 - 24, 1815 – Joseph Milligan www.loc.gov/exhibits/thomas‐ unpacks book boxes and sets them up in jeffersons‐library the order stipulated by Jefferson in his manuscript catalogue Thomas Jefferson’s Libraries Project. End January 1816 – Jefferson receives the http://tjlibraries.monticello.org print catalogue of the library from Librarian of Congress, George Watterston Exhibition Credits Commemorative Exhibition Curated by: Endrina Tay, Associate Foundation Librarian for Technical Services, Jefferson Library Celebrating the Bicentennial of the Designed by: Connie Schnitger, Jefferson Library volunteer 1815 Sale of Jefferson’s Library to Congress Book boxes constructed by: Larry McMahan, Jefferson Jefferson Library, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello Library volunteer May 1 – October 31, 2015 Special thanks to Jack Robertson, Foundation Librarian, Jefferson Library, for his support. Exhibit Guide EXHIBIT CASE 1 5. Enlarged Facsimile of Selected EXHIBIT CASE 3 16. Poster, The Book Room at "my greatest of all amusements, Manuscript Pages from Jefferson’s "I cannot live without books"4 Monticello (2006) Source: Thomas reading"2 1783 Catalog at the Massachusetts Jefferson Foundation Historical Society (Actual Size, 4½ 10. The 1812 Catalogue of the Library 1. Facsimile of Jefferson’s copy of inches by 7¼ inches) of Congress: A Facsimile 17. Thomas Jefferson, bronze William Beloe’s English translation maquette (circa 1975) by Donald De (Washington: Library of Congress, Graphic of Herodotus (Philadelphia: p. 50, p. 135 (on American History 1982) Source: Thomas Jefferson Lue (1897-1988) Source: Thomas Published by Edward Earle, 1814) and Politics) Jefferson Foundation p. 74 & 75 (on Technical Arts) Foundation 1844 pencil sketch of Source: Thomas Jefferson Monticello and Montalto from Foundation. Gift of Thomas and p. 176 & 177 (on Architecture) 11. Enlarged Facsimile of Notes on Virginia Anderson. p. 198 & 199 (on Epic Poetry) Thomas Jefferson’s Library at the Time EXHIBIT CASE 4 Edgehill by Russell Smith. of Sale from the Library of Congress Source: Thomas Jefferson 2. Facsimile of Jefferson’s copy of "you will receive my library EXHIBIT CASE 2 (Actual Size, 9¾ inches by 7½ arranged very perfectly in the order Foundation The Works of William Shakespeare inches) 5 (London: Printed for J. and R. "I shall not retain a single one"3 observed in the catalogue” Footnotes - 12. Facsimile of Letter, Thomas Tonson, 1767 1768) Source: 6. Facsimile of the Capture and 18. Facsimile of chapter 1 from the 1 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Jefferson to John Adams, June 10, 1823 Catalogue at the Library of Thomas Jefferson to Burning of Washington by the British 1815, Recipient copy. Source: Samuel H. Smith, May 8, 3. Facsimile of Jefferson’s library in “Our First Century” by Richard Congress. Source: Library of Massachusetts Historical Society Congress 1815 organizational scheme detailed in Miller Devens (Springfield, MA: C. 13. Facsimile of Report of the Library his 1783 Catalog. Source: A. Nichols, 1876) Source: Library of 19. Facsimile of chapter 1 from the 2 Massachusetts Historical Society Congress Prints & Photographs Committee on the Expediency of Catalogue of the Library of the United Thomas Jefferson to Providing a Library Room, and for Abigail Adams, August 22, Division Transporting the Library Lately States (Washington: Printed by 7. Facsimile of U. S. Capitol After Jonathan Elliot, 1815) Source: 1813 SKYLIGHT INSTALLATION Purchased of Thomas Jefferson, Esq. to Library of Congress Burning by British by George Munger, the City of Washington (Washington 3 Thomas Jefferson to 4. Enlarged Facsimile of Selected 1814. Source: Library of Congress City: Printed by Roger C. 20. Catalogue of the Library of Manuscript Pages from Jefferson’s Prints & Photographs Division Weightman, 1815) Source: Thomas Congress, December 1830 Samuel H. Smith, February 1789 Catalog at the Massachusetts (Washington: Printed by D. Green, 27, 1815 Historical Society (Actual Size, 4¾ 8. Thomas Jefferson offers his library to Jefferson Foundation the Congress. A facsimile of the original 1830) Source: Thomas Jefferson 4 inches by 7¼ inches) 14. Facsimile of Blodget’s Hotel, Foundation Thomas Jefferson to John letter in the University of Chicago Washington, D.C., published ca. Adams, June 10, 1815 p. 18 & 19 (on Agriculture, Library, issued on the occasion of the 1860-1880. Source: Library of 21. Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Chemistry, Surgery, Medicine and dedication of the Joseph Regenstein Jefferson, vol. 1, ed. E. Millicent 5 Anatomy) Congress Prints & Photographs Thomas Jefferson to Library, October 31, 1970 (Chicago, Division Sowerby (Washington: Library of George Watterston, May 7, p. 28 & 29 (on Religion, Equity, 1970) Source: Thomas Jefferson Congress, 1952-1959) Source: and Common Law, etc.) Foundation. Gift of Donald H. 15. Map of proposed and actual Thomas Jefferson Foundation 1815 p. 36 & 37 (on Commerce, Cresswell. transportation route of books to Arithmetic, Geometry, and Washington, D.C. Source: 22. Thomas Jefferson’s Library Mechanics, Optics, etc.) 9. Cartoon. Source: Cobblestone Catalogue of the Library of Thomas exhibition catalogue (Washington: p. 38 & 39 (on Astronomy and (Peterborough, N.H.: Cobblestone Jefferson (Washington: Library of Library of Congress, 2008) Source: Geography) Publishing, September 2012) Congress, 1952-1959) Thomas Jefferson Foundation.