July 29, 2015 Library of Congress Junior Fellows Display Collection Treasures

The Library of Congress Junior Fellows Summer Interns today presented more than 100 rare and unique items from 19 Library divisions. The display provides the opportunity for fellows to discuss the historic significance of the collection items they have researched and processed during their 10-week internships. Examples include:

• A beaded Mayan necklace created between 200-450 A.D. from a collection of jade funerary and ritual artifacts from several Mesoamerican cultures
• A rare Mixtec mosaic earspool dated 1200-1500 A.D. composed of wood and turquoise, from Southern Mexico
• A rare 16th-century Portuguese pamphlet with the third canto of the epic poem "Os Lusíadas" by Luis de Camões
• An 1814 Claude Laurent glass flute with etched monogram
• A late 19th-century engraved silver ink ladle used to make ink using water
• A 1903 certificate permitting African-American lawyer William Henry Richards to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court
• A note on copper from magician Harry Houdini’s wife, dated Feb. 2, 1935
• The original score of Paul Simon’s first song, "The Girl For Me" (1956).

Working under the direction of Library curators and specialists in various divisions, 36 Junior Fellows—selected from more than 800 applicants across the country—explored the institution’s unparalleled collections and resources. They were exposed to a broad spectrum of library work: research, copyright, preservation, reference, access, standards, information management and digital initiatives.

Selected items from the Junior Fellows’ presentation will be on exhibit from Aug. 3 through Sept. 21 in three display cases on the first floor next to the Great Hall in the Thomas Jefferson Building.

The Junior Fellows Program is made possible through the generosity of the late Mrs. Jefferson Patterson and the Knowledge Navigators Trust Fund, with additional support provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts. A lead gift from H. F. (Gerry) Lenfest, chairman of the Library’s James Madison Council private-sector advisory group, established the Knowledge Navigators Trust Fund with major support provided by members of the council.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs, publications and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at loc.gov.