Snapshots of the Past

Scene in the House of Representatives – Historic Print

Scene in the House of Representatives, 1902 — historic drawing
Scene in the House of Representatives, 1902. Historic drawing from the U.S. Capitol collection.

(Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

Step back in time with Scene in the House of Representatives, a historic drawing rich in period detail. It comes from the Snapshots of the Past collection, curated over 25 years for its historical value.

The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. It makes a striking addition to a living room, study or office, and a thoughtful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Since 2001, Snapshots of the Past has shipped historic prints to tens of thousands of customers around the world.

Scene in the House of Representatives

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Ask about licensing or this print

The particular thing about this drawing is its caption, "A Witticism from the Chair," which tells you the artist chose a moment of humor rather than the usual business of floor debate. It was made in 1902 as a wash drawing and printed in Henry Loomis Nelson's "Making Laws at Washington," which ran in the June 1902 issue of The Century Magazine. Nelson's article was one of several illustrated pieces that gave magazine readers a look inside Congress at a time when most Americans had never seen the chamber in session. Drawings like this one were often the only visual record readers had of the House floor, so the scene is worth studying for how it staged the presiding officer, the members and the gallery.

Created / published1902
Mediumdrawing, wash
NotesA Witticism from the Chair. Published in: "Making Laws at Washington" by Henry Loomis Nelson. Century Magazine,64:174 (June 1902)
Original scan3,900 × 2,580 px · prints to 13 × 9 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-225740

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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.

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