Preparations for the opening of the 76th Congress on January 3, 1939, included hanging the flag and adjusting the rostrum's microphone. To the right of the rostrum hangs the portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette, the first foreign dignitary to address a Joint Meeting of Congress. The portrait has hung in the current House Chamber since it opened in 1858.
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, “Preparing the House Chamber for Opening of the 76th Congress,” https://history.house.gov/Collection/Listing/PA2012/PA2012-04-0038/ (November 04, 2026)
Office of the Historian
Office of Art and Archives
Attic, Thomas Jefferson Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 226-1300
