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Most 19th century prints depicting Washington, D.C., showed great statesmen and buildings. Here, however, Edward Kemble sketched ordinary citizens. At center, a tour guide extols the Capitol’s wonders to a sightseeing family. Above, citizens with varying degrees of interest watch the House in session. The page’s remainder shows the building’s denizens: doorkeepers, local cranks, and “Buttercup,” a woman whom the accompanying article said had sold souvenirs in the Rotunda since the 1850s.
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, “Sketches in Washington - In and About the Capitol,” https://history.house.gov/Collection/Listing/2005/2005-218-005/ (August 15, 2022)
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