Washington D.C., USA
In 2025, Goppion continued its working relationship with the Library of Congress (LoC), the USA’s venerable cultural institution and host of one of the world’s largest libraries. We were commissioned by the LoC in 2021, and the first fruit of our collaboration, The David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery, opened in 2024.
Initially, Goppion produced four very large new display cases for temporary exhibits, specifically designed with a highly flexible interior display system. These display cases were part of the LoC’s new permanent public installation that features a rotating, themed collection of artifacts from its vast collections.
Fast forward to 2025, and Goppion’s commission yielded a further suite of no less than 28 new Universal Cases, experimental models which are also destined be used for temporary exhibits across different galleries.
The first new exhibit to incorporate some of these is The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution, developed with veteran exhibition designers Ralph Appelbaum Associates. This exhibition – launched in March 2025 to coincide with the Library’s ‘America 250’ celebrations – explores the lives and legacies of two of the most significant figures of the 18th century: King George III of Great Britain, and American Founding Father and First President, George Washington.
The exhibition brings together for the very first time unique and highly valuable collections, including George Washington’s papers from the Library of Congress, George III’s scientific instruments from the Science Museum Group in London, and George III’s papers from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives. Collectively, their contents give us revealing insights on how both men were shaped by the primary forces of their time: the burgeoning British Empire, Enlightenment thought, the system of transatlantic enslavement and the rising climate of revolution. Theirs was indeed a world of change, and it set many of the seeds for the modern world we live in today.
Goppion’s experimental display cases feature flexible vitrines that can be used in different areas, and design that integrates seamlessly into a variety of settings. The interior includes an exhibition mount, and the shelves can be tilted in multiple ways, making the system highly adaptable to a range of curatorial needs and changing displays of a wide variety of artifacts.
A special solution was required to enable transport in low-clearance areas at the LoC. To solve this, a modification was made to lower case height by removing the feet, making the cases easier to transport in the building’s low-ceilinged spaces. As a result of this reduced height, the display cases are also more flexible in situ, too.
The Goppion team looks forward to future illuminating displays at LoC that will use our customized Universal Cases to share artifacts and stories from a most remarkable collection.
