Modern passes are slickly printed with security detailing. Early gallery passes, however, were handwritten. This Member's Gallery example was scribbled on House stationery and signed by Speaker Samuel Randall in 1878. Passes to Capitol spaces and House of Representatives sessions have been prized souvenirs since they first came into use in the mid-19th century.
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, “Members Gallery Pass,” https://history.house.gov/Collection/Listing/2005/2005-200-000/ (February 28, 2021)
Office of the Historian
Office of Art and Archives
Attic, Thomas Jefferson Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 226-1300
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