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[Library of Congress foundation, 1889: view of corner of foundation, with men using block and tackle] – Historic Photo Reproduction

[Library of Congress foundation, 1889: view of corner of foundation, with men using block and tackle] — historic photograph
[Library of Congress foundation, 1889: view of corner of foundation, with men using block and tackle]. 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

[Library of Congress foundation, 1889: view of corner of foundation, with men using block and tackle] comes to life in this historic photograph, reproduced from the original with every detail intact. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

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[Library of Congress foundation, 1889: view of corner of foundation, with men using block and tackle]

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Men working a block and tackle at the corner of an open excavation mark the earliest physical stage of the Library of Congress's own building. The library had outgrown its rooms in the Capitol, and Congress authorized a separate structure on Capitol Hill in 1886. Foundation work in 1889 was an early step toward the Thomas Jefferson Building, which was not finished until 1897. The photograph shows raw earth, timber, and lifting gear rather than the ornate exterior that later became familiar.

Medium1 photographic print.
Notes1889
SubjectsThis record contains unverified, old data from caption card. Caption card tracings: Construction; Washington, D.C.--LC--Const.; Shelf.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,536 × 1,275 px · prints to 5 × 4 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-127805

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