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The Declaration of Independence
Humanities and Social Sciences Library
Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III Gallery (First Floor)
June 29, 2007 through August 4, 2007
The Library is honored to safeguard a fair copy (clean, full-text version without corrections or alterations) of the Declaration of Independence in Thomas Jefferson’s hand. In the days immediately following ratification on July 4, 1776, Jefferson made several copies of the text that had been submitted to the Continental Congress, underlining the passages to which changes had been made. The Library’s copy is one of two known to survive intact. It is shown together with the first Philadelphia printing and the first New York printing of the final version issued by Congress. These versions are complemented by the earliest newspaper printings; the second official version ordered by Congress, published by a woman printer in Baltimore; and a letter from Franklin to Washington mentioning that the Declaration was being drafted. In addition to the exhibition, the 14-minute film We Hold These Truths …, a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence, will be shown continuously in the South Court Visitors’ Center. Admission is free.
Focus on Science Industry and Business Library The link between mathematics, physics, and aesthetics in successful projects such as the pyramids of Egypt and the Chrysler building is more than evident in the collection of books and manuscripts assembled by William Barclay Parsons. The same emphasis is apparent in his engineering projects. The Parsons collection at SIBL consists of books and pamphlets that document engineering science as applied to transportation, architecture, and weaponry from the 15th through the 20th century.
Hundreds of volumes trace the engineering and artistic attributes of railroads and subways, areas of major professional interest for Mr. Parsons. The collection of railroad-related works includes volumes from England, Scotland, Germany, Japan, and China, along with extensive coverage of the regional areas of the United States. The numerous illustrations offer an opportunity to compare design developments worldwide.
The Parsons family donated this unique collection of works on engineering and transportation to The New York Public Library in 1934. It is a testament to the historico-social aspect of man's technical genius in these fields of endeavor. NYPL President Nicholas Murray Butler said of General Parsons, "…engineering was [to him] an instrumentality of civilization, not a mere physical arrangement of physical things." The
major portions of the collection are engineering classics of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, materials on railroads and canals of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, works on military engineering of World War I, and manuscripts, principally of, or relating to, Robert Fulton.
Starting September 5, 2006, our hours of operation have been extended to 9:00 am to 7 pm ET Monday through Thursday, and 9:00 am to 6 pm ET on Fridays.
The Library subscribes to hundreds of commercial and academic databases. Please click here for a full list by subject. Some new products are highlighted below:
Economist Intelligence Unit
Covers nearly 200 countries and helps to keep pace with how national, regional and global events will affect business in the short-to-medium term. Reports examine and explain in depth the issues shaping countries: the political scene, economic policy, domestic economy, sectoral trends, and foreign trade and payments. Detailed two-year forecasts complement the analysis and pinpoint political and economic developments and trends.
Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1980
A digital reproduction of the key publications of the United States Congress, the Congressional Serial Set documents the official activities of the House and the Senate, including the journals, reports and documents. In addition, through the 19th century the Serial Set also included publications of the executive departments relating to important public issues. The database offers full text searching capabilities as well as number searches along with full color images of maps, illustrations, and tables. When complete in 2009, the database will offer approximately 13,800 volumes and over 12 million pages in searchable full-text.
ArchiveGrid
ArchiveGrid provides timely and comprehensive access to information for nearly a million collections of manuscripts and archives and enhances the dissemination of information about historical documents, personal papers, and family histories held in thousands of libraries, museums, and archives around the world.
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