Martin Luther Lecture at the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress looks very different at night. We usually go to lectures that are given in the afternoon. In fact, we just went to one on Tuesday about Martin Luther art and objects - celebrating 500 years of the reformation. Last evening we went to another talk about the famous monk. Brad S. Gregory was the speaker, and there were several rare books available to browse. I must admit I preferred the show and tell talk complete with many slides and visual surprises. Someone reading to me never sits well with me, although the speaker was very good and the content well organized. My husband really enjoyed it. I retired from the library after working there for ten years. I never planned to work there, it was just serendipity. Since we live so close we take advantage of the programs and lectures that are offered. It is one of the perks of living in the Capitol city. And it looks so different at night.

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Reformation and Martin Luther Treasures in the US

We usually go to the Library of Congress for lectures in the Middle Eastern Division for all things Persian. Once in awhile we see more generic topics. But today we were interested to hear about Martin Luther and the Reformation - celebrating 500 years. We just watched a program about Martin Luther on TV, and 500 year celebrations are few and far in between. The speaker, Tom Rassieur, was from the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The slideshow highlighted the German/American collaborative exhibition and publication of historically relevant pieces. He was a dynamic speaker and the lecture was filled with visually interesting artworks and objects from vestments, articles from Luther's home life, and fascinating tales. The setting was a lovely room in the beautiful Jefferson Building. There is also an exhibit on the first floor that we will need to go back and check out another time. Another program is scheduled on Thursday evening in the Madison Building with Brad S. Gregory. The focus is Luther's life and legacy. It seems the programs all seem to come at one time. But luckily for us it's just a walk down the street. And there is always something of interest to see and hear.