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John Wood photographed the Capitol Extension of the 1850s. Learn more from Chief of the AOC Photo and Technical Imaging Branch Michael Dunn, AOC Senior Photography Archivist Leslie Matthaei, and author and Library of Congress Photography Conservator Adrienne Lundgren about his pioneering work in documenting an exciting chapter of Capitol history.

Gutzon Borglum sculpted the colossal bust of Abraham Lincoln in the Crypt of the Capitol. Join us to learn more about this bust and Borglum’s other depictions of our 16th president.

On September 4, 1957, the Little Rock Nine began their first day of class at Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, spearheaded by Daisy Bates. Learn about the life and career of the civil rights leader and Arkansas’ newest statue.

Staff from the Architect of the Capitol Curator’s Office discuss the history and design elements of two clocks visible during public tours of the Capitol.

On September 10, 1813, the United States won a major naval victory at the Battle of Lake Erie, which is depicted in a painting near the Senate Chamber, but this isn’t the only connection between the Capitol and the War of 1812. Learn more about how the War of 1812 affected Congress, the Capitol and Washington, D.C.

In 1904, the U.S. Naval Academy gifted a bust of Captain John Paul Jones to the Senate. Learn about the life and career of one of the most influential naval pioneers and how the bust ended up in the Capitol.

Architect of the Capitol Preservation Architect Jayashree Shamanna will discuss the process of plaster and paint repair and showcase examples of previous, ongoing, and planned work in Capitol spaces.

Examine the model of Capitol Hill as it appeared in 1814, when the British burned the Capitol during the war. Listen to stories told by a Curator and imagine how the Capitol has transformed since then. No reservations necessary. Join us in Exhibition Hall. 

This program will discuss the work of Marisol Escobar, the first Hispanic artist to have a statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection, as well as her statue of Father Damien, sent by the state of Hawaii in 1969.

On June 27, 1829, British scientist James Smithson left his fortune “to found at Washington…an Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men.” Join us to explore the life and times of Smithson and the roles of Congress and John Quincy Adams in the creation and development of the Smithsonian Institution.