United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
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History, Art & Archives of the U.S. House of Representatives

Fair Fight

by Art on April 28, 2015

World’s fairs were big business at the turn of the 20th century, and constituents—with scores of pro-fair campaign postcards in hand—lined up behind San Francisco Representative Julius Kahn’s efforts to bring the 1915 event to the city by the bay.

 

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Categories: Art & Artifacts

Edition for Educators—Gaveling In

by History on April 20, 2015

Declaration of War Gavel
This month’s Edition for Educators focuses on an everyday tool with a rich tradition in the history of the House of Representatives: the gavel. Gavels have special significance in the House, where they have many purposes: as instruments of order and decorum, as symbols of power, and sometimes as souvenirs. Each, in its own right, could tell a unique tale. Following are a few examples.

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Categories: Education, Art & Artifacts, House Practice & Traditions

The Unlucky Seventh

by History on April 13, 2015

Abraham Lincoln
If you studied Latin in school you may recall the phrase, “Omne trium perfectum” (every set of three is complete). From history to pop culture, trios make for interesting stories. Ancient Rome had Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Mark Antony. The antebellum Senate boasted its Great Triumvirate—Webster, Calhoun, and Clay. The Bee Gees laid down the beat for 1970s disco goers. Harry Potter and his friends, Ron and Hermione, spellbound a later generation. The Illinois Seventh Congressional District of the 1840s spawned its own memorable political trio: John J. Hardin, Edward D. Baker, and Abraham Lincoln.

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Categories: People, War, Presidents

Behind the Photos

by Archives on April 6, 2015

Dapper Representative John Sosnowski
This portrait of Representative John Sosnowski seems pretty standard—until you turn it over and read the back.

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Categories: Photography, Art & Artifacts

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Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov