The images on this gallery pass debuted at the turn of the 20th century, and some of them lasted for decades. Signed by future Speaker Champ Clark, this example includes the trio of symbols that endured—a female personification of Liberty holding the House’s mace, a shield with stars and stripes surrounded by oak and laurel leaves, and an abstract arch decorated with acorns, oak leaves, and a laurel branch. The mace, which was made in 1841, remains a symbol of the House’s institutional authority. Oaks and acorns traditionally symbolize longevity, and laurels, victory.
