Snapshots of the Past

[Construction of the Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, with the Capitol in the background, Washington, D.C.] – Antique Photo Print

[Construction of the Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, with the Capitol in the background, Washington, D.C.], 1890 June 2. — historic photograph
[Construction of the Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, with the Capitol in the background, Washington, D.C.], 1890 June 2.. Historic photograph from the Presidents 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

This historic photograph of [Construction of the Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, with the Capitol in the background, Washington, D.C.] brings a moment of history to your wall. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

Choose the framed print, ready to hang the day it arrives, or the unframed print for a frame of your own. A conversation-starting piece for home, office, or as a meaningful gift. 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.

[Construction of the Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, with the Capitol in the background, Washington, D.C.]

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

Workers are raising the walls of the Jefferson Building, still a skeleton of stone and scaffolding in June 1890, with the Capitol rising behind it. The library was then housed in cramped rooms inside the Capitol itself, and this new structure was built to give its growing collections room of their own. The building takes its name from Thomas Jefferson, whose personal library, sold to Congress in 1815 after the British burned the Capitol, became the foundation of the Library of Congress. The photograph shows the site as the Capitol's dome anchors the view, a reminder of how closely the two buildings were linked from the start.

Created / published1890 June 2.
Medium1 photographic print.
GenrePhotographic prints 1890.
NotesNo. A460173-1252E1-7F46.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,536 × 1,182 px · prints to 5 × 4 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-169136

More from the Presidents 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

[Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, with winter wooden housing over Horatio Greenough's sculpture of George Washington on Capitol grounds in right foreground][Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, with winter wooden housing over [Construction inside the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress][Construction inside the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress]Construction of Dome, Jefferson Building, Library of CongressConstruction of Dome, Jefferson Building, Library of CongressJefferson Building, Library of Congress, WashingtonJefferson Building, Library of Congress, Washington[Two arches in hallway, Jefferson Building, Library of Congress][Two arches in hallway, Jefferson Building, Library of Congress]The Library of Congress, WashingtonThe Library of Congress, Washington