"780 Thomas Jefferson Books Sought," Associated Press, July 27, 1999

Thomas Jefferson's law book, part of an exhibit at the Library of Congress in Washington entitled "Books from the Library of Thomas Jefferson." (AP July 27, 1999)
By Carl Hartman

WASHINGTON (AP) - Though it owns more books than anyone else - over 27 million, with an additional 250 coming in every day -the Library of Congress is searching hard for 780 more volumes. Not just any 780 books, of course. It wants to reconstruct a complete set of the volumes it obtained from Thomas Jefferson after British troops burned Washington in 1814. Unfortunately, many of the books were lost in another fire on Christmas Eve 1851. Now the library wants to assemble a complete set of Jefferson's original books for display on the library's 200th birthday next April. It was one of the country's best collections and the price would have been higher if the books had been valued by content rather than just size. When Jefferson was buying he told his agents he wanted small books, so he could carry them on horseback. Even so, Jefferson got $23,940 for his 6,487 books. The library figures that equals $213,000 in today's money. If it can find the missing 780 books, the set will be complete. Some in Congress complained. One said Jefferson included 10 cookbooks, nine of them in foreign languages most congressmen couldn't read. Another called some of the books "atheistic, irreligious and immoral.'' The congressman may have been thinking of one of the books the library is now looking for, an English version of Voltaire's "History of Charles XII,'' published in London in 1740. The French writer Voltaire was much reviled for his attacks on organized religion. The library is also looking for "Chippendale's Cabinet Maker's Designs,'' published by Thomas Chippendale in 1754. Jefferson himself invented a swivel chair.

Jerry Jones, owner of the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, has given a million dollars for the search. "In the heart of (Washington) Redskins' territory, it is particularly appreciated,'' said James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress. Mark Dimunation, head of rare books at the library, thinks the million will be enough. Some of the duplicates may never be found. Dimunation is particular about getting a copy from precisely the same printing that Jefferson did ‹ "even if it's the fourth Dublin edition of something originally published in London,'' he said. Few of the third president's books came from this side of the Atlantic. Dimunation said that because of Jefferson's importance as author of the Declaration of Independence and a founder of the U.S. system of government, the reproduced collection should represent as closely as possible the sources that went into his thinking. "It was his laboratory,'' Dimunation explained.

The collection represents Jefferson's wide-ranging tastes. He classified gardening as one of the fine arts. In the fashion of the times he leaned heavily on Greek and Roman classics, though he could be critical of them. He disliked Plato's "Republic,'' revered by many as a blueprint for an ideal government. Jefferson could turn classics to his own purposes. Like many of today's politicians, he wanted to learn Spanish. Rosemary Plakas, a historian at the library, said Jefferson used the Roman historian Tacitus to perfect himself. He got copies in the original Latin, Spanish and English translations, separated them into pieces and had corresponding pieces from each volume bound together so he could jump from one language to the other.
The book "Acts Passed at General Assembly in the City of Williamsburg," is part of the Library of Congress' Thomas Jefferson books, "Books from the Library of Thomas Jefferson". (AP July 27, 1999)
A portion of the "Books from the Library of Thomas Jefferson" on display at the Library of Congress in Washington. (AP photo July 27, 1999)
Monticello
Bush at memorial July 4, 2002
The earliest published view of the White House, seen in this image of an introduction page to a travel book, which was drawn during Thomas Jefferson's administration. It shows the temporary wooden porch and steps of 1600, prior to the construction of Latrobe's stone platform at the north door. (AP Photo/White House Historical Association, HO) - (Monday 30 October, 2000) Full Story: The White House at 200 (Associated Press)