Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives, Given In honor of our father, William H. Vanderbilt, Governor of Rhode Island 1938-1940, and his great-grandfather Benjamin Brown French, Clerk of the House 1845-1853 and Commissioner of Public Buildings 1855 and 1861-1867
Object Details
Named for the branching candle arms, girandole mirrors like this one had round convex mirror glass to reflect candlelight and illuminate the entire room. The spread eagle holding chains in its beak was a common finial on American Federal-style versions of the mirror. This example belonged to Benjamin Brown French, who used it in the Capitol during his tenure as Clerk of the House in the 1840s.
