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Art & History

For more than two centuries, the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives has served as the institution’s repository for its records and heritage. Resources on this page include a collection of information on House artwork and material culture, its history, traditions, personalities and precedents, and official records.

Browse Art & History

Art, Artifacts, & Architecture

Learn how enslaved African Americans helped build the Capitol, find the location of Representative Abraham Lincoln’s desk during his tenure as a Member, take a virtual tour of the House Chamber, and much more.

House History

Access historical lists of House leaders and officers, party divisions and session dates as well as firsts, milestones, and feature pages on ceremonies and traditions such as the Congressional Baseball Game.

Historical Biographical Information

Learn more about past U.S. Representatives by accessing biographical information; through oral histories, explore the careers of the men and women who have helped to shape the institution; discover the unique experiences of select groups in House history by reading Member profiles in Women in Congress and Black Americans in Congress; and more.

Weekly Historical Highlights

Read about House events that occurred this week in History. Search our archives of more than 400 events, or explore them by date or subject. New highlights are added each week.

Historical Resources

Congress Overviews

This Week in History

The Thanksgiving holiday

November 28, 1940

Representative Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., of New York

November 29, 1908