United States Capitol Dome Drawings
name: label: Creator
content: Walter, Thomas Ustick, 1804-1887
label: Collector
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of History of Technology
label: Collector
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering
label: Collector
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry
label: Names
content: United States Capitol (Washington, D.C.)
topic: label: Topic
content: Domes
label: Topic
content: Architecture -- Washington (D.C.)
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: This collection was purchased in 1984 by the Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, National Museum of American History (then called the National Museum of History and Technology), from Walter Grossman.
creator: label: Creator
content: Walter, Thomas Ustick, 1804-1887
setName: label: See more items in
content: United States Capitol Dome Drawings
abstract: label: Summary
content: The collection consists of 146 salt-paper prints (structural and decorative details) of the United States Capitol Dome, between 1855 and 1862. Dimensions range from 6 ¾" x 9 ½" to 17 1/8" x 10".
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: The United State Capitol dome is situated above the United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C. The Capitol dome was designed by Thomas Ustick Walter (1804-1887), the fourth Architect of the Capitol. Walter was responsible for adding the north (Senate) and south (House) wings and the central dome of the Capitol from 1854 to 1866. The original dome, built in 1824, was made of wood.  It was considered a fire hazard and was not big enough to complement the Capitol building's growing size.[1]


[1] http://www.aoc.gov/cc/capitol/dome.cfm (accessed on April 9, 2010)
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.3 Cubic feet ( 1 box)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1855-1862
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Transferred in 2007 to the Archives Center from the Division of Work and Industry (formerly the Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering).
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1010
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Salted paper prints
label: Type
content: Copy photographs
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection is arranged into one series.

Series 1, United States Capitol Dome Drawings, 1855-1862
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Kendra Ciccone (intern), April, 2010; supervised by Alison Oswald, archivist.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Salted paper prints
label: Genre/Form
content: Copy photographs
originalsloc: label: Existence and Location of Originals
content: The original drawings exist in the Office of the Architect of the Capitol. See: http://www.aoc.gov/cc/capitol/dome.cfm.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection is comprised of 146 salt print photographic copies of original drawings of the United States Capitol dome. Salt print paper was the first and most common photo paper between 1839 and 1860. The prints document both structural and decorative details of the dome. The prints are arranged in chronological order.