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Scene in the Old Congressional Library, Washington, DC, Showing Present Congested Condition

Scene in the Old Congressional Library, Washington, DC, Showing Present Congested Condition/tiles/collection/4/4064.xml
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Date

1897-02-27

Artist

William Bengough

Publisher

Harper's Weekly

Dimensions

15 1/2 x 10 3/4 in. (39.4 x 27.3 cm)

Accession Number

2011.013.006

Credit Line

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives

Object Details

In the run-up to the opening of the imposing new building of the Library of Congress in 1897, Harper’s Weekly ran a 10-part series on the library. Artist William Bengough provided this visual evidence of the need for expanded space. The old library was located on the west side of the Capitol, and when it was built in the 1850s it was a wondrous world of gilded ironwork, the better to preserve the library from fire.

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