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Primary sourcePhotograph28 November 1939

Magna Carta Deposited in Congressional Library for Duration of War

Harris & Ewing · 28 November 1939

A 1939 press photograph showing a prized copy of Magna Carta being placed in the Library of Congress for safekeeping during the war.

This photograph documents a historic copy of Magna Carta being safeguarded abroad, showing its treasured status centuries later.

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Two men in pinstripe suits shake hands in front of an ornate wooden display case with a fleur-de-lis tufted leather base, which holds a document with handwritten text. The man on the left smiles; the man on the right, wearing glasses and a vest, smiles and holds papers.
Harris & Ewing, Magna Carta deposited in Congressional Library for duration of war, 28 November 1939.

About this source

What it is

This photograph, taken by Harris & Ewing on 28 November, shows British Ambassador Lord Lothian handing over a cherished copy of Magna Carta to Librarian Archibald MacLeish, who accepted it for safekeeping at the Library of Congress for the duration of the war. The document was later displayed to the public near the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Why it matters

The image shows how, even centuries after it was written, Magna Carta was treated as a treasure worth protecting from wartime danger, and how it was placed alongside American founding documents as a shared symbol of liberty under law.

Look closer

  • Why might Britain have sent this document to the United States for safekeeping during the war?
  • What does the choice to display it near the Declaration of Independence suggest about how Americans viewed Magna Carta?
  • What can you tell about the importance of this event from the men's expressions and formal dress?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Magna Carta on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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