August 12, 1999

"Designs for Democracy, 200 Years of Drawings from the National Archives" recently opened at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas. From drawings of chandelier lamps to images of battleships, the exhibit is a facsimile of records that are also beautiful works of art. These designs of ordinary and extraordinary objects reflect the diversity and creativity of the American people and their government as they built this country. They show a special aspect of the American character. Each work was created in fulfillment of a specific federal plan, policy, or program. Selected from the millions of design holdings in the National Archives, fifty works have been reproduced as state of the art IRIS prints. The selections include bold pencil and charcoal sketches, fine pen and ink drawings, delicate watercolor paintings, rich gouache images, and precisely drawn engineering plans – all the work of talented artists, inventors, and delineators. Famous names such as Benjamin Latrobe, John Roebling, and Cass Gilbert abound. The exhibit includes images of familiar objects, such as the Washington Monument, Brooklyn Bridge, and the U.S.S. Monitor as well as intriguing lesser known objects.

The exhibit, created by the National Archives and Records Administration, Office of Records Services – Washington, D.C., will be open to the public daily from 9 a.m. until 4:45 p.m. on the second floor gallery of the Library building until December 31, 1999. There is no charge to see the exhibit. For further information, call the Library at 785-263-4751 or toll free at 1-877-RingIke. The Eisenhower Library is one of ten presidential libraries operated by the National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.