What Mecca is to the Mohammedan, what the Temple of Jerusalem is to the Israelite, what St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is to the faithful of the Church Universal, this Cathedral is to the American Catholic.
--Cardinal Gibbons, 1906

The exhibition tells the story of the Basilica's architect B. Henry Latrobe and its first Archbishop John Carroll. It details the changes made to the building over the years, culminating in the Basilica's recent glorious restoration to Latrobe's original vision. The skylights in the Cathedral dome will again diffuse the sanctuary with what Latrobe termed lumière mystérieuse (mysterious light). On display are documents, drawings, paintings, photographs, and artifacts ranging from marble fragments to an early christening robe.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was the first Catholic cathedral built after America gained independence. Begun in 1806 and dedicated in 1821, it is considered to be B. Henry Latrobe's masterwork.

The Basilica's history is closely entwined with the history of Maryland, which was established in the 17th century as a colony where both Catholics and other denominations could worship freely. On display will be materials relating to the Calvert family who founded the colony in the reign of Charles 1 and the voyage of the Ark and The Dove, the ships that carried the first settlers to Maryland. There is a painting depicting the first mass the settlers held on these new shores. Included are pastoral letters from Archbishop John Carroll, correspondence between Carroll and Latrobe, and Latrobe's initial sketches and drawings for the cathedral.

The Hackerman Gallery of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library.