Collections Spotlight: National Jukebox

Collections Spotlight: National Jukebox

The National Jukebox provides streaming access to just over 16,000 recordings made between 1901 and 1925, mostly by the Victor Talking Machine Company and Columbia Records. You can browse and sort recordings by genre, artist, subject, language, or year, including a day-by-day guide of published recordings. There are selected playlists for you to sample or…

Finding Resources: Free to Use & Reuse Primary Source Sets

Finding Resources: Free to Use & Reuse Primary Source Sets

These primary source sets provide just a small sample of the Library’s digital collections that are free to use and reuse. The digital collections comprise millions of items including books, newspapers, manuscripts, prints and photos, maps, musical scores, films, sound recordings and more. Click the topic link to access each Free to Use & Reuse…

Learning from the Source: Print Advertising Across the Centuries

Learning from the Source: Print Advertising Across the Centuries

Overview Advertisements showcase products and the latest technology while reflecting life and society as we know it, or wish it to be. This project encourages students to use their natural curiosity about the similarities between the past, present, and future to analyze and compare and contrast historical, contemporary, and hypothetical print advertisements of the future.*…

Today in History: Coca-Cola

Today in History: Coca-Cola

Today in History–May 8–the Library of Congress features the soft drink Coca-cola, first sold  on this day in 1886 at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia.  This carbonated beverage soon became a favorite in the United States; the company sales were around 100 million by the late 1890s. Learn more about the history of this iconic soda by visiting…

Today in History: Conde Nast, Vogue & Clothing Styles

Today in History: Conde Nast, Vogue & Clothing Styles

Today in History–March 26–the Library of Congress features publisher Condé Nast, born on this day in 1874. While working as an advertising executive for Collier’s, Nast created the concept of magazines based on targeted groups of readers. In 1909 he purchased Vogue and five years later created Vanity Fair. Learn more about American clothing styles by visiting the Today in History section, then click the…

Today in History: Fannie Farmer & Cooking

Today in History: Fannie Farmer & Cooking

Today in History–March 23–the Library of Congress features cookbook author Fannie Farmer, born on this day in 1857. In 1896 she published the Boston Cooking School Cookbook (known today as the Fannie Farmer Cookbook), which was the first to feature standardized measurements. Learn more about Farmer and American cooking by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access a cornucopia…

Primary Source Learning: Teaching with Primary Source Posters

Primary Source Learning: Teaching with Primary Source Posters

The Teaching with the Library of Congress blog gives some great tips on using the WPA Poster collection with students. One idea is to have students identify persuasion techniques. For a great resource on typical advertising persuasion techniques, check out  Print Advertising Across the Centuries project. One teacher used this project as a template and created a…