October 20, 1998

Contact:
Contact: Craig D'Ooge (202) 707-9189

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Brumidi Murals in U.S. Capitol To Be Discussed at the Library of Congress on November 17

U.S. Capitol curator Barbara Wolanin will discuss her new book, Constantino Brumidi: Artist of the Capitol (1998), at the Library of Congress on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m. in the Mumford Room, 6th floor, Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E. The event is free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by the Center for the Book and the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, the presentation is part of the center's "Books & Beyond" author series.

Brumidi (1805-1880) came to the United States in the early 1850s and, over the course of more than two decades, was commissioned to create numerous murals and paintings for the Capitol. His most famous works include the monumental canopy and frieze in the Capitol's Rotunda.

Barbara Wolanin has been curator for the Office of the Architect of the Capitol since 1985. This richly illustrated book contains more than 200 illustrations and culminates more than 10 years of research by Dr. Wolanin and other contributors. The 260-page book costs $12.95.

Dr. Wolanin also contributed a chapter about the restoration and renovation of the Library's Jefferson Building to the recently published volume The Library of Congress: The Art and Architecture of the Thomas Jefferson Building (W.W. Norton in association with the Library of Congress, 1997).

The U.S. Capitol Historical Society is a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit educational organization founded in 1962 and chartered by Congress to preserve and communicate the history of the U.S. Capitol. For information, call (202) 543-8919, ext. 20.

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress was established in 1977 to stimulate public interest in books, reading, and libraries. For information about its program and the activities of its 35 affiliated state centers, visit the center's site on the World Wide Web at: www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/.

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PR 98-170
10/20/98
ISSN 0731-3527