The Victorian love of knicknacks was given free rein in the Speaker’s office in the 1870s. Artist Vinnie Ream’s allegorical white marble sculpture of “The West” soon left the House, but the oversized cabinet-cum-desk, oval lithographs of early Speakers, and bronze statuettes of Greek philosophers remain part of the House’s collection. The elaborate cherub sconces continue to light the space, which in 1879 was altered to become part of the Speaker’s Lobby.
