United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
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Gavel of Speaker Joseph William Martin, Jr.

Gavel of Speaker Joseph William Martin, Jr./tiles/collection/5/5476.xml
Gavel of Speaker Joseph William Martin, Jr./tiles/collection/2/21279.xml
Gavel of Speaker Joseph William Martin, Jr./tiles/collection/5/5477.xml
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Date

1947-1954

Dimensions

10 1/2 × 3 1/4 × 1 3/4 in. (26.7 × 8.3 × 4.4 cm)

Accession Number

2004.045.002

Credit Line

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives, Gift of Elizabeth C. Udell in memory of her husband Gilman Grant Udell, Sr.

Object Details

Speaker Joseph Martin signed this gavel during one of his two terms as Speaker of the House, 1947–1949 and 1953–1955, and presented it to a longtime congressional staffer. The tradition of giving gavels as souvenirs dates to the 1800s. Occasionally, Speakers also wrote the date on the gavel, particularly if it marked a momentous event.

Rights and Reproduction Information

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