The history of the early Americas is a story of before and after,
defined and divided by a pivotal moment of contact between two distinct
cultures. On the European side it is a tale of exploration, high-stakes
treasure-seeking, and conquest. For indigenous Americans--including the
Maya, the Nahua, the Taíno, and the Wari--it is the beginning of the
end, a violent saga of disease, enslavement, and the loss of languages
and rituals.
This collision of cultures comes to life in the manuscripts, maps,
archaeological objects, and rare books that make up the collection of
early American treasures in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.
Collecting for a New World: Treasures of the Early Americas relates
these encounters through vivid illustrations and interpretive
descriptions of more than sixty rare and priceless items.
In describing for the first time the journeys of the objects
themselves--via African shipwrecks, secret meetings on airstrips,
discoveries in castle libraries, and journeys into unknown
archaeological sites hidden deep in the jungles of Guatemala--curator
John Hessler reveals the role played by private collectors, whose
knowledge, vision, and--in many cases, philanthropy--contribute so
significantly to the collective understanding and interpretation of
history and culture.
