A view of the Capitol of Washington before it was burnt down by the British

This famous watercolor view by William Birch shows the only section of the Capitol that had been completed when the government moved to Washington in 1800. Workmen are still cutting stones in the left foreground, and the city can be seen in the distance on the right.
Transfer; Map Division, Jan. 4 1916.
(inscribed on verso).
Reference copy in LOT 4386-6BA.
Exhibited: "Capitol Visitor Center" at the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C., 2013.