United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
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Twin Girl Guides at U.S. Capitol

Black and white photograph of Elizabeth and Anna Eliza Smith, identical twins, each wearing a badge, standing outside in front of steps/tiles/collection/1/10139.xml
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Reverse of photograph with maker’s information and caption reading, “. . . rst Girl Guides at U.S. Capitol. Miss Elizabeth and Ann’Eliza Smith, twin sisters who hail from Mt. Vernon, Illinois, are the first of the fair sex to be appointed as guides in the U.S. Capitol at Washington. They resemble each other so much that tourists have a hard job staying in their right party when the girls are on the job. They receive no wages from Uncle Sam, but are paid by visitors who want guides at the rate of 25 cents apiece. These girls, pictured above, carry an amazing array of historical and statistical information at the tips of their tongues in order to hold the job efficiently.”/tiles/collection/1/10140.xml
Download this image
Black and white photograph of Elizabeth and Anna Eliza Smith, identical twins, each wearing a badge, standing outside in front of steps
Reverse of photograph with maker’s information and caption reading, “. . . rst Girl Guides at U.S. Capitol. Miss Elizabeth and Ann’Eliza Smith, twin sisters who hail from Mt. Vernon, Illinois, are the first of the fair sex to be appointed as guides in the U.S. Capitol at Washington. They resemble each other so much that tourists have a hard job staying in their right party when the girls are on the job. They receive no wages from Uncle Sam, but are paid by visitors who want guides at the rate of 25 cents apiece. These girls, pictured above, carry an amazing array of historical and statistical information at the tips of their tongues in order to hold the job efficiently.”
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Date

1927-07-10

Dimensions

6 1/2 x 8 1/2 in. (16.5 x 21.6 cm)

Accession Number

PA2014.07.0030

Credit Line

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives

Object Details

The Capitol guide service began in 1876 as a network of independent operators. Women, including Elizabeth and Anna Eliza Smith, the twins in this photo, started working as Capitol guides in the 1920s. The Smith twins wear metal badges that identify them as guides to visitors at the Capitol. Guides charged each visitor 25 cents per tour, making it a lucrative profession for the time.

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Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov