Snapshots of the Past

Library of Congress - view of construction of basement and first floor: June 16, 1891 – Historic Photo Reproduction

Library of Congress - view of construction of basement and first floor: June 16, 1891 — historic photograph
Library of Congress - view of construction of basement and first floor: June 16, 1891. Historic photograph from the Library of Congress collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

A window into the past: Library of Congress - view of construction of basement and first floor: June 16, 1891, preserved in this historic photograph. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. Perfect for a home, office, library or classroom wall, and a gift with a story behind it. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

Library of Congress - view of construction of basement and first floor: June 16, 1891

Order a print

Secure checkout · SSL encryptedPowered by Stripe and PayPal

Free shipping in the lower 48 states. The checkout page shows the picture, size and price before you pay.

Sign up for our newsletter

Sent securely. No purchase needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Ask about licensing or this print

Dated June 16, 1891, this view shows the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., while its basement and first floor were still going up. The building, now known as the Thomas Jefferson Building, was meant to give the library its own home after decades of crowding into the Capitol. Construction continued for several more years, and the library opened the building to the public in 1897. The photograph captures an early stage of that long project, when the masonry was just rising from the ground.

Medium1 photographic print.
Notes1891
SubjectsThis record contains unverified, old data from caption card. Caption card tracings: DC, Wash.--LC--Construction; Shelf.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,536 × 1,270 px · prints to 5 × 4 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-134762

More from the Library of Congress collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.

Related pictures

Library of Congress - view of construction of basement and first floor: Aug. 27, 1891Library of Congress - view of construction of basement and first floor: Aug. 27,[Library of Congress: detail of capital of column in the Rotunda on the first floor of the Library of Congress, 13 Nov. 1895][Library of Congress: detail of capital of column in the Rotunda on the first flThe Library of Congress. Main Hall, first floor, showing entrance to Main Reading RoomThe Library of Congress. Main Hall, first floor, showing entrance to Main Readin[Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. View of corridors of first floor][Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. View of corridors of first floor]Library of Congress, Wash., D.C. (Main Bldg): Exterior. Construction of stack area. June 23, 1926Library of Congress, Wash., D.C. (Main Bldg): Exterior. Construction of stack arLibrary of Congress, Wash., D.C. (Main Bldg): Interior - Southwest corridor (detail). First Floor. Photo by LoudenLibrary of Congress, Wash., D.C. (Main Bldg): Interior - Southwest corridor (det