October 14, 1997

Contact:
Helen Dalrymple (202) 707-1940
Craig D'Ooge (202) 707-9189

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Conference To Discuss Art and Architecture of Jefferson Building

On Nov. 14, the annual art and architectural history conference of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society will examine the history, art, and architecture of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. The all-day conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the Library's Madison Memorial Building, and conclude with tours and a reception in the Jefferson Building.

From 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Great Hall there will be a live demonstration of building crafts used in the construction and decoration of the Jefferson Building, sponsored by the American Folklife Center and the International Masonry Institute. Stone-carving, terrazzo, mosiac, and brick laying will be demonstrated.

The conference was planned in cooperation with the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress to help commemorate the centennial of the Jefferson Building, which opened to the public on Nov. 1, 1897.

Speakers will be John Y. Cole, Henry Hope Reed, Thomas P. Somma, Richard Murray, and Barbara Wolanin, all contributors to the new book, _The Library of Congress: The Art and Architecture of the Thomas Jefferson Building_ (W.W. Norton, 1997), and scholars Ford Peatross, Frances Brousseau, and Janet Marstine. Topics include the planning and construction of the building, its architecture, sculpture, and murals; and its renovation and restoration.

Registration for the conference, including lunch, is $35. Preregistration is required. Contact the U.S. Capitol Historical Society at (202) 543-8919 for further details.

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PR 97-161
10/14/97
ISSN 0731-3527