This card allowed West Virginian Sylvanus Hall the freedom of the Floor of the House Chamber in late 1877. It is the oldest known House Floor pass. Earlier in the 1800s, non-Members could gain access to the Floor only upon verbal request, made by a sitting Representative to the presiding officer. Little is known about the origins of printed House passes, but they may have been inspired by the success of passes for a series of 11 Joint Meetings over the course of a single month in early 1877. The color-coded pases, different for each day, demonstrated the efficiency of printed, rather than verbal or handwritten, access.
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