October 14, 1997
Contact:
Helen Dalrymple (202) 707-1940
Craig D'Ooge (202) 707-9189
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