![[Sculpted marble stored in northeast curtain for construction of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.]](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn18/L3Bob3RvLzIwMTkvMTAvMDUvc2N1bHB0ZWQtbWFyYmxlLXN0b3JlZC1pbi1ub3J0aGVhc3QtY3VydGFpbi1mb3ItY29uc3RydWN0aW9uLW9mLXRoZS1saWJyYXJ5LWI1YmZhYi0xMDI0LmpwZw%3D%3D/320/250/jpg "[Sculpted marble stored in northeast curtain for construction of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.]")
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![[Senate Members Room. Detail of carved cornice of the Siena marble fireplace. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.]](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn18/L3Bob3RvLzIwMTkvMTAvMDgvc2VuYXRlLW1lbWJlcnMtcm9vbS1kZXRhaWwtb2YtY2FydmVkLWNvcm5pY2Utb2YtdGhlLXNpZW5hLW1hcmJsZS1maXJlcGxhY2UtOTc3Y2VlLTY0MC5qcGc%3D/40/30/webp "[Senate Members Room. Detail of carved cornice of the Siena marble fireplace. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.]")
![[Great Hall. View from above of the zodiac in the marble floor. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.]](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn4/L3Bob3RvLzIwMTkvMDkvMjEvZ3JlYXQtaGFsbC12aWV3LWZyb20tYWJvdmUtb2YtdGhlLXpvZGlhYy1pbi10aGUtbWFyYmxlLWZsb29yLWxpYnJhcnktb2YtY29uZ3Jlc3MtNmIyNGFkLTY0MC5qcGc%3D/40/28/webp "[Great Hall. View from above of the zodiac in the marble floor. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.]")
![[Alterations to the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C. Cellar floor plan]](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn4/L3Bob3RvLzE5MzgvMDEvMDEvYWx0ZXJhdGlvbnMtdG8tdGhlLWxpYnJhcnktb2YtY29uZ3Jlc3MtdGhvbWFzLWplZmZlcnNvbi1idWlsZGluZy13YXNoaW5ndG9uLTUtNjQwLmpwZw%3D%3D/40/31/webp "[Alterations to the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C. Cellar floor plan]")
![[Northeast Pavilion. Mural in Ceiling dome. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.]](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn18/L3Bob3RvLzIwMTkvMTEvMjIvbm9ydGhlYXN0LXBhdmlsaW9uLW11cmFsLWluLWNlaWxpbmctZG9tZS1saWJyYXJ5LW9mLWNvbmdyZXNzLXRob21hcy1qZWZmZXJzb24tZGEwMjQyLTY0MC5qcGc%3D/40/31/webp "[Northeast Pavilion. Mural in Ceiling dome. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.]")
![[Sheds, piles of bricks and workers during construction of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C., with the U.S. Capitol in the background]](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn4/L3Bob3RvLzIwMTkvMDkvMTYvc2hlZHMtcGlsZXMtb2YtYnJpY2tzLWFuZC13b3JrZXJzLWR1cmluZy1jb25zdHJ1Y3Rpb24tb2YtdGhlLWxpYnJhcnktb2YtY29uZ3Jlc3MtZTBlMmY4LTY0MC5qcGc%3D/40/31/webp "[Sheds, piles of bricks and workers during construction of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C., with the U.S. Capitol in the background]")
![[Northeast Pavilion, The Pavilion of the Seals. Mural of Seal of the Treasury Department. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.]](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn4/L3Bob3RvLzIwMTkvMTAvMDIvbm9ydGhlYXN0LXBhdmlsaW9uLXRoZS1wYXZpbGlvbi1vZi10aGUtc2VhbHMtbXVyYWwtb2Ytc2VhbC1vZi10aGUtdHJlYXN1cnktZmQ5MmE1LTY0MC5qcGc%3D/40/34/webp "[Northeast Pavilion, The Pavilion of the Seals. Mural of Seal of the Treasury Department. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.]")
[Sculpted marble stored in northeast curtain for construction of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.]
Summary
Photograph shows men creating decorations for the main building in impromptu studios. The large eagle at the right of center and one of the two matching eagles at the left flank the marble tablet above the Great Hall's commemorative arch.
Published in: Ten First Street, Southeast: Congress Builds a Library, 1886-1897 / Helen-Anne Hilker. Washington : Library of Congress : for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1980, p. 25.
The Library of Congress Building or the Jefferson Building is the oldest of the four United States Library of Congress buildings, built between 1890 and 1897 in Washington, DC. It is located on First Street SE, between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street. The new building was needed because of the Copyright Law of 1870, which required all copyright applicants to send to the Library two copies of their work. This resulted in a flood of books, pamphlets, maps, music, prints, and photographs. After Congress approved construction of the building in 1886, it took eleven years to complete. The building's main architect was Paul J. Pelz, born in Prussian Silesia, initially in partnership with John L. Smithmeyer, a native of Vienna, Austria, and succeeded by Edward Pearce Casey during the last few years of construction. More than fifty American painters and sculptors produced commissioned works of art. The building opened to the public on November 1, 1897, met with wide approval and was immediately seen as a national monument. The building name was changed on June 13, 1980 to honor former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson.
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