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Friday, July 25, 2014

New York Public Library, Collections, Architecture, and History

I went to the New York Public Library to view to view the library’s copy of The Declaration of Independence, handwritten by Thomas Jefferson, which was on display from from June 27 to July 3, 2014 in the Celeste Bartos Forum.

I took a photograph of this document, and have provided below a link with enlargements of the document from the NYPL collections. I was surprised at Jefferson's small, neat handwriting. If I were a handwriting analyst, I would say that Jefferson was a precise, meticulous person, who wouldn't pass by details. His input, at assessing all the fine points of the document, would have been essential.

The Celeste Barthos Forum (Room 80)
...with its glass ceiling, is influenced directly by the reading room of the Bibliotheque Nationale (1856-75) [in Paris], designed by Henri Labrouste. [Source: Beaux-arts Architecture in New York: A Photographic Guide. P. 41]




The foot of the marble staircase inside the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building


Drinking fountain on the second floor, with a bronze lion's head


A marble wall panel in the Celest Bartos Forum


Thomas Jefferson's autograph copy of the Declaration of Independence
On display in the Celest Bartos Forum from June 27 to Thursday July 3, 2014
Here is the full document, from the NYPL's Digital Collections.


Here is a copy, from the NYPL Digitial Collections, of the top part of the document:



And here is a link to the transcript of the document.


Glass ceiling in the Celeste Bartos Forum of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building,
Showing the marble panels.


[All Photos By KPA, except for the excerpt of the Declaration of Independence]
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Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat
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