Library of Congress traveling exhibit to visit Uniontown
The Library of Congress traveling exhibit, "Gateway to Knowledge," features facsimiles of historical treasures such as the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and the 1962 drawings for the comic book that introduced Spiderman. The exhibit will be at the Uniontown Public Library from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The 18-wheel truck that houses the Library of Congress traveling exhibit, "Gateway to Knowledge," is 90-feet long and expands to 30-feet wide.
A Library of Congress traveling exhibit showcasing facsimiles outlining the nation’s historical culture will appear in Uniontown this week.
The Uniontown Public Library will play host to the free exhibit contained in a customized 18-wheel truck 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The “Gateway to Knowledge” exhibition features copies of the Library’s top treasures and information such as the 1507 Waldseemuller Map, which is the first document to use the word “America.”
Other pieces include facsimiles of the 1455 Gutenberg Bible, the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and the 1962 drawings for the comic book that introduced Spiderman to the world. Visitors can also see copies of the handwritten manuscripts of Jelly Roll Martin’s “Frog-i-More Rag” and Walt Whitman’s poem, “Leaves of Grass.” Originals are housed in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
Additionally, the exhibit will outline the history of the Library, including Thomas Jefferson’s role in re-establishing the Library after the burning of the U.S. Capitol in 1814 and his classification system of memory, reason and imagination, which is how the content of the traveling exhibit is organized.
According to Lynne Tharan, Uniontown Public Library will be the first library in the state to sponsor the exhibit, which is part of a national tour, with stops planned for more than 60 sites across the United States over the next year.
“It’s going to bring to our community a display that most of us could never see,” she said. “I didn’t realize myself that a lot of this was kept at the Library of Congress.”
The truck housing the exhibit is 90 feet long with two bump out sections, widening the truck to 30 feet and expanding the exhibition space to 1,000 square feet. There is also a handicap entrance. Accompanying the exhibit will be a well-versed docent team that will assist visitors in interpreting the collection.
Tharan said an opening ceremony at the library is planned for 10 a.m. Friday with welcome remarks by Uniontown library’s board president, Larry Bush, and a ribbon cutting. She said local dignitaries also planning to attend include state Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-South Union Twp.; Uniontown Mayor Ed Fike; Joe Giachetti, Uniontown treasurer; and deputy district director Dave Coder, a representative from the office of U.S. Rep. Mark S. Critz, D-Johnstown.
According to exhibit officials, the display will include programming for teachers and students and was made possible by the support of the family of Bernie and Audre Rapoport, founding members of the James Madison Council, the library’s private-sector advisory group.