From the Collections of the Salt Lake City Public Library
Exhibit runs from July 19–August 17
Moon Dreams: A Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing
From antiquity, people have been fascinated with the heavens, observing the stars, the motion of the planets, and especially, the surface and phases of our nearest celestial neighbor, the Moon. This fascination inspired authors, artists, and musicians to create works that explored outer space when humans still lacked the ability to physically leave the boundaries of our atmosphere. Dreams became reality, nurtured by the Cold War competitive drive, when the Soviet Union launched Vostok 1 and Yuri Gagarin became the first person to reach outer space and circle the globe. Not to be outdone, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States quickly ramped up its efforts and in less than a year, John Glenn orbited the earth three times. The space race was truly on and the goal was to be the first nation to successfully land a man on the moon, and bring him home again. It took only a little over seven years to accomplish this astonishing feat when on July 20, 1969, Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin safely landed on the surface of the moon and took those historic steps for all mankind.
With books, ephemera, Legos, and artifacts from NASA, this exhibit celebrates the men and women who imagined, engineered, tested, re-tested, and finally succeeded in fulfilling a dream humans had cherished for millennia--to walk on the Moon.
NOTE: The Main Library's Rooftop Terrace is closed through 2020 for repairs and renovations.
Salt Lake City's Main Library, designed by internationally-acclaimed architect Moshe Safdie in conjunction with VCBO Architecture, opened in February 2003 and remains one of the most architecturally unique structures in Utah. This striking 240,000 square-foot structure houses more than 500,000 books and other materials, yet serves as more than just a repository of books and computers. It reflects and engages the city's imagination and aspirations. The structure embraces a public plaza, with shops and services at ground level, reading galleries above, and a 300-seat auditorium.
A multi-level reading area along the Glass Lens at the southern facade of the building looks out onto the plaza with stunning views of the city and Wasatch Mountains beyond. Spiraling fireplaces on four floors resemble a column of flame from the vantage of 200 East and 400 South. The Urban Room between the Library and the Crescent Wall is a space for all seasons, generously endowed with daylight and open to magnificent views.
