Thomas Jefferson’s Library

An iconic spiral of glass, housing the personal library of the third president, inside the nation's oldest federal cultural institution.

When the Library of Congress burned in the War of 1812, Thomas Jefferson sold his personal library to the government to replace it. To commemorate the Library’s bicentennial, an exhibition on Jefferson was created, helping to illuminate the intellectual background of one of the most revered figures in American history. Originally intended to be temporary, the exhibit proved so popular that it is now permanent. Designed at Chermayeff & Geismar Inc. by Jonathan Alger in collaboration with Tom Geismar.