Written history.LIVING out West has its rewards, of course, but one thing Angelenos and other Left Coasters miss out on is a day-to-day connection with American history that residents of say, Washington or Philadelphia can experience all the time. Now the Los Angeles Public Library
The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) system serves the residents of Los Angeles, California. and the National Archives National Archives, official depository for records of the U.S. federal government, established in 1934 by an act of Congress. Although displeasure concerning the method of keeping national records was voiced in Congress as early as 1810, the United States continued and Records Administration are closing the gap. Through Jan. 4, 2004, the Central Library is displaying 25 documents that have changed the course of American life, including a 1863 draft of the Emancipation Proclamation Emancipation Proclamation, in U.S. history, the executive order abolishing slavery in the Confederate States of America. Desire for Such a Proclamation in President Abraham Lincoln's cursive. The documents range from the deeply poignant to the whimsical whim·si·cal adj. 1. Determined by, arising from, or marked by whim or caprice. See Synonyms at arbitrary. 2. Erratic in behavior or degree of unpredictability: a whimsical personality. . Among the documents included are President John F. Kennedy's notes from his inaugural address, Thomas Edison's patent application for the electric light bulb, and an 1873 letter by Levi Strauss
Levi Strauss, born Löb Strauß in which he complains his patent for making "pantaloons" has been infringed. "These documents really jerk you back to that moment in history and provide a connection to the events and people who were involved in those moments," Clemson said. "It's a great sampling of different time periods in American history." The exhibit is free and open during normal library hours (see lapl.org). All items will be on permanent display except the Emancipation Proclamation, which, due to its fragile condition, will only be shown Dec. 5-8. "In this multimedia world it's easy to become jaded jad·ed adj. 1. Worn out; wearied: "My father's words had left me jaded and depressed" William Styron. 2. , they are just pieces of paper," said Los Angeles Public Library spokesman Peter Persic. "But there is a powerful reaction when you see them. These are documents that shaped the nation and the world." |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion