View allAll Photos Tagged USCapitolBuilding
Looking West toward the Washington Monument from the US Capitol Building.
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Interested in seeing more "destination" images? Check out the sets in my collection titled:
Beyond Cenral Illinois
Of course, you are always welcome here in Central Illinois. Here are my collections and sets relating to the middle section of the Land of Lincoln:
Central Illinois (excluding Springfield)
Springfield and ONLY Springfield
All About Abe (Lincoln)
Lastly, here are a few more "topical" sets that may be of interest to you:
Things that are Abandoned, Neglected, Weathered, or Rusty
Barbers & Barber Shops
Vintage Cars & Trucks - Junkers to Classic Collectibles
Small Town Churches
All Things Political
Thank you for visiting my photostream - myoldpostcards
The weather hasn't been at it's best here in D.C.
We've had intermittent showers and grey skies, but we haven't let that slow us down.
It's was still a little misty last night when I took this shot.
As you can just make out, the dome on the Capitol building is surrounded by scaffolding. It's going under a two year intensive renovation project, to repair over 1,300 cracks in the cast iron.
(although the dome is painted to match the buildings stonework, the dome itself is not made of stone, but cast iron)
Maybe after they fix up what's going on outside the building, they can get around to fixing what goes on inside............just sayin'!! 8-//
Anti-GOP (Impeach Trump) Demonstration before President Trump State of the Union Speech at US Capitol Building East Steps in NE Washington DC on Tuesday afternoon, 4 February 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography
Elvert Barnes PROTEST PHOTOGRAPHY 2020 at elvertbarnes.com/protests2020.html
Trip to Washington DC for Catering / Before Work Series
I saw this while checking things out at the Capitol. I'm told that this has been going on for 40 years, organized by "The Jesus Lady."
This is the Washington Monument with the U.S. Capitol Building lit on July 24, 2020 in the National Mall with Camila.
I rode Amtrak train no. 94 on April 24, 2012 from Richmond to Washington, DC for the first leg of my
trip home from visiting my flickr contact John H. Bowman and his wife in Virginia. After we crossed the Potomac River into Washington, I took this photo of the U.S. Capitol Building from my train window,
with the Rayburn House Office Building to the left of the Capitol Building. Immediately after this view
the train enters a tunnel for the remainder of the ride into Washington Union Station.
Gerald R. Ford, Jr.
This statue of Gerald Ford was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Michigan in 2011. Ford’s statue replaced that of Detroit mayor and United States Senator Zachariah Chandler, which the state of Michigan donated to the National Statuary Hall Collection in 1913.
•Artist: J Brett Grill
•Material: Bronze
•State: Given by Michigan in 2011
•Location: Rotunda, U.S. Capitol
Gerald R. Ford, 38th president of the United States, was the first person to assume the offices of vice president and president upon the resignation of his predecessors. This followed upon 25 years of service in Congress, including eight as House minority leader.
The future president was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska, and was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After his mother divorced his father, she married Gerald Rudolph Ford, in whose honor her son would take the name Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. He studied economics and political science at the University of Michigan, where he was also a champion football player. At Yale University he earned a law degree while coaching football and boxing. He graduated in 1941, practiced law briefly, and enlisted in the navy in 1942 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. His service included time on an aircraft carrier that saw action in the Pacific until it was irreparably damaged by a typhoon and fire, and he was honorably discharged in 1946.
In 1948 Ford married Elizabeth (“Betty”) Bloomer and was elected to the first of 13 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his service on committees and on the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, he established a reputation for fairness and integrity, and beginning in 1965 he served as minority leader. Upon the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew, President Richard Nixon selected him to fill the vacancy, and he was confirmed by the House and Senate as required by the 25th amendment to the Constitution. On August 9, 1974, Nixon himself left office because of the ongoing Watergate scandal, and Ford assumed the presidency. Among the challenges he faced were low public confidence in the government, economic inflation, conflict in the Middle East, the fall of South Vietnam and Cambodia, and an increasing Soviet military threat. He ran for election to a full term in 1976 but was defeated by Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia.
Ford remained athletic, robust and active after leaving office, appearing at historical and ceremonial events, such as state funerals, and speaking out on subjects of domestic and international importance. He died on December 26, 2006, at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. His remains lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda from December 30, 2006, to January 2, 2007. Following a state funeral and a memorial service held at the National Cathedral on January 2, Ford was interred at his Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids.
The Statue
The statue depicts Ford wearing a three-piece suit and leaning forward, his feet splayed and his slightly raised left heel suggesting forward motion; the sculptor stated that this posture is “meant to embody the idea of someone standing up to serve their country when called.” The president’s right hand holds his open suit jacket with two fingers below the right lapel and his left hand holds two thick files, the outer one of which carries the presidential seal.
The pedestal, clad in India Black granite, is inscribed on the front with Ford’s name, life dates, positions and terms of federal service, and the state name “Michigan.” On the proper right side is inscribed a quotation from a tribute by Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, Speaker of the House during Ford’s presidency: “God has been good to America, especially during difficult times. At the time of the Civil War, he gave us Abraham Lincoln. And at the time of Watergate, he gave us Gerald Ford—the right man at the right time who was able to put our nation back together again.” On the proper left side are words from Ford’s swearing-in address: “Our constitution works. Our great republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule.” The statue was unveiled in the Capitol Rotunda on May 3, 2011.
The Sculptor
Sculptor J Brett Grill (1979-Present) holds a BFA in sculpture from the University of Michigan and an MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art. Now an assistant professor of art, he teaches painting and drawing at the University of Missouri. He was selected by a panel of experts on behalf of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation following a national call for applications; the Foundation commissioned the sculpture on behalf of the state of Michigan. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grill also grew up there, as did Ford. Grill was familiar with Ford’s history and had previously depicted him in a bust.
The California legislature and governor delegated responsibility for the creation of the statue to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation, which selected sculptor Chas Fagan and oversaw the design and approval process. This was the second instance of a state’s replacing a previously donated statue since such action was authorized by the Congress in 2000 under Public Law 106-554 (40 U.S.C. 187a). The statue was unveiled in the United States Capitol Rotunda on June 3, 2009 (pictured above).
The Sculptor
Chas Fagan is a self-taught artist who grew up in Brussels, Belgium, where he visited museums and sketched the works of great European masters; he later graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a degree in Russian and East European studies. He has painted portraits of Mrs. Barbara Bush, President Reagan, Speaker of the House Tom Foley, and a complete set of presidents for C-SPAN’s 2001 program American Presidents. He has completed sculptural portraits of President George H. W. Bush; Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene; and, for the National Cathedral, John Donne, Rosa Parks, and Mother Theresa.
Gerald R. Ford, Jr.
This statue of Gerald Ford was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Michigan in 2011. Ford’s statue replaced that of Detroit mayor and United States Senator Zachariah Chandler, which the state of Michigan donated to the National Statuary Hall Collection in 1913.
•Artist: J Brett Grill
•Material: Bronze
•State: Given by Michigan in 2011
•Location: Rotunda, U.S. Capitol
Gerald R. Ford, 38th president of the United States, was the first person to assume the offices of vice president and president upon the resignation of his predecessors. This followed upon 25 years of service in Congress, including eight as House minority leader.
The future president was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska, and was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After his mother divorced his father, she married Gerald Rudolph Ford, in whose honor her son would take the name Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. He studied economics and political science at the University of Michigan, where he was also a champion football player. At Yale University he earned a law degree while coaching football and boxing. He graduated in 1941, practiced law briefly, and enlisted in the navy in 1942 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. His service included time on an aircraft carrier that saw action in the Pacific until it was irreparably damaged by a typhoon and fire, and he was honorably discharged in 1946.
In 1948 Ford married Elizabeth (“Betty”) Bloomer and was elected to the first of 13 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his service on committees and on the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, he established a reputation for fairness and integrity, and beginning in 1965 he served as minority leader. Upon the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew, President Richard Nixon selected him to fill the vacancy, and he was confirmed by the House and Senate as required by the 25th amendment to the Constitution. On August 9, 1974, Nixon himself left office because of the ongoing Watergate scandal, and Ford assumed the presidency. Among the challenges he faced were low public confidence in the government, economic inflation, conflict in the Middle East, the fall of South Vietnam and Cambodia, and an increasing Soviet military threat. He ran for election to a full term in 1976 but was defeated by Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia.
Ford remained athletic, robust and active after leaving office, appearing at historical and ceremonial events, such as state funerals, and speaking out on subjects of domestic and international importance. He died on December 26, 2006, at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. His remains lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda from December 30, 2006, to January 2, 2007. Following a state funeral and a memorial service held at the National Cathedral on January 2, Ford was interred at his Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids.
The Statue
The statue depicts Ford wearing a three-piece suit and leaning forward, his feet splayed and his slightly raised left heel suggesting forward motion; the sculptor stated that this posture is “meant to embody the idea of someone standing up to serve their country when called.” The president’s right hand holds his open suit jacket with two fingers below the right lapel and his left hand holds two thick files, the outer one of which carries the presidential seal.
The pedestal, clad in India Black granite, is inscribed on the front with Ford’s name, life dates, positions and terms of federal service, and the state name “Michigan.” On the proper right side is inscribed a quotation from a tribute by Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, Speaker of the House during Ford’s presidency: “God has been good to America, especially during difficult times. At the time of the Civil War, he gave us Abraham Lincoln. And at the time of Watergate, he gave us Gerald Ford—the right man at the right time who was able to put our nation back together again.” On the proper left side are words from Ford’s swearing-in address: “Our constitution works. Our great republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule.” The statue was unveiled in the Capitol Rotunda on May 3, 2011.
The Sculptor
Sculptor J Brett Grill (1979-Present) holds a BFA in sculpture from the University of Michigan and an MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art. Now an assistant professor of art, he teaches painting and drawing at the University of Missouri. He was selected by a panel of experts on behalf of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation following a national call for applications; the Foundation commissioned the sculpture on behalf of the state of Michigan. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grill also grew up there, as did Ford. Grill was familiar with Ford’s history and had previously depicted him in a bust.
The California legislature and governor delegated responsibility for the creation of the statue to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation, which selected sculptor Chas Fagan and oversaw the design and approval process. This was the second instance of a state’s replacing a previously donated statue since such action was authorized by the Congress in 2000 under Public Law 106-554 (40 U.S.C. 187a). The statue was unveiled in the United States Capitol Rotunda on June 3, 2009 (pictured above).
The Sculptor
Chas Fagan is a self-taught artist who grew up in Brussels, Belgium, where he visited museums and sketched the works of great European masters; he later graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a degree in Russian and East European studies. He has painted portraits of Mrs. Barbara Bush, President Reagan, Speaker of the House Tom Foley, and a complete set of presidents for C-SPAN’s 2001 program American Presidents. He has completed sculptural portraits of President George H. W. Bush; Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene; and, for the National Cathedral, John Donne, Rosa Parks, and Mother Theresa.
110529-N-TT977-419
Deborah Mullen, wife of Navy. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff claps during the playing of the Armed Service Medley at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
Navy. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
Navy. Adm. Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
• Parts: 36,800+ (~1,130 unique)
• 📐 Scale: 1:650
• 📏 Dimensions: 32in x 51in (80cm x 130cm)
• 📚 Research, Design + Build Time: 4 months
• Photography: James Vitullo 📷
• ©️ MMXXIV - Rocco Buttliere, LLC
___________________________________
During a brief stint in Washington D.C. in 2023, I spent the better part of a summer evening exploring the grounds of Capitol Hill. Few landscapes invite as much inquiry along winding paths paired with plenty of moments for quiet introspection on marble benches; all in picturesque view of the Capitol dome. These on-site experiences are exactly the form of anecdotal justification I seek when considering whether to recreate such monumental places in the first place.
In tackling any work of such storied precedence as the US Capitol, I always seek to expand the conversation beyond existing works in the medium of plastic bricks. While the consistent 1:650 scale among my works has always ensured some level of originality, it is no guarantee of further insight that cannot already be gleaned from existing works by other artists. With this in mind, I set out to capture the full 100-acre site currently maintained by The Architect of the Capitol. What's more, the diorama depicts a particular time of year - specifically late March to early April - as illustrated by the iconic presence of hundreds of cherry blossoms rendered in two shades of light pink.
The diorama starts downhill at the trapezoidal Capitol Reflecting Pool, with the Grant Memorial taking pride of place along its eastern edge and the US Botanic Garden across the street to the south. The diorama expands from there, capturing the radiating pathways meandering uphill, as designed by Frederick Law Olmsted within the parcels laid out in the city plan by Pierre Charles L'Enfant. The piece culminates with the widely imitated US Capitol Building, perched atop a plinth projecting from the Capitol Visitor Center on the opposite side.
Topping everything off is a custom-made representation of the Statue of Freedom (as designed by Thomas Crawford), steadfastly overlooking the National Mall from atop the dome. The statue was designed in collaboration with BigKidBrix and was sized comparably to the minifigure statuette / trophy element.
The piece was designed over the course of about two months: first in December 2023 through January 2024, paused during the build-out of SPQR - Phase II, then resumed between March and April. The build-out lasted from July through August and was completed by September. The piece will soon be added to my personal gallery of works, now available for touring exhibitions.
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #ChicagoArtist #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #LEGOArtist #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #USCapitol #USCapitolBuilding #CapitolHill #WashingtonDC #ArchitectOfTheCapitol #America #USA #Diorama #AmericanHistory
US Capitol Complex North at Louisiana Avenue and D Street, NW, Washington DC on Monday afternoon, 18 January 2021 by Elvert Barnes Photography
US CAPITOL POLICE
Elvert Barnes COVID 19 Pandemic Part 5 New Year 2021 docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/CV19NewYear2021
Elvert Barnes Monday afternoon, 18 January 2021 In Preparation of 59th Presidential Inauguration US Capitol Complex docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/18January2021
• Parts: 36,800+ (~1,130 unique)
• 📐 Scale: 1:650
• 📏 Dimensions: 32in x 51in (80cm x 130cm)
• 📚 Research, Design + Build Time: 4 months
• Photography: James Vitullo 📷
• ©️ MMXXIV - Rocco Buttliere, LLC
___________________________________
During a brief stint in Washington D.C. in 2023, I spent the better part of a summer evening exploring the grounds of Capitol Hill. Few landscapes invite as much inquiry along winding paths paired with plenty of moments for quiet introspection on marble benches; all in picturesque view of the Capitol dome. These on-site experiences are exactly the form of anecdotal justification I seek when considering whether to recreate such monumental places in the first place.
In tackling any work of such storied precedence as the US Capitol, I always seek to expand the conversation beyond existing works in the medium of plastic bricks. While the consistent 1:650 scale among my works has always ensured some level of originality, it is no guarantee of further insight that cannot already be gleaned from existing works by other artists. With this in mind, I set out to capture the full 100-acre site currently maintained by The Architect of the Capitol. What's more, the diorama depicts a particular time of year - specifically late March to early April - as illustrated by the iconic presence of hundreds of cherry blossoms rendered in two shades of light pink.
The diorama starts downhill at the trapezoidal Capitol Reflecting Pool, with the Grant Memorial taking pride of place along its eastern edge and the US Botanic Garden across the street to the south. The diorama expands from there, capturing the radiating pathways meandering uphill, as designed by Frederick Law Olmsted within the parcels laid out in the city plan by Pierre Charles L'Enfant. The piece culminates with the widely imitated US Capitol Building, perched atop a plinth projecting from the Capitol Visitor Center on the opposite side.
Topping everything off is a custom-made representation of the Statue of Freedom (as designed by Thomas Crawford), steadfastly overlooking the National Mall from atop the dome. The statue was designed in collaboration with BigKidBrix and was sized comparably to the minifigure statuette / trophy element.
The piece was designed over the course of about two months: first in December 2023 through January 2024, paused during the build-out of SPQR - Phase II, then resumed between March and April. The build-out lasted from July through August and was completed by September. The piece will soon be added to my personal gallery of works, now available for touring exhibitions.
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #ChicagoArtist #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #LEGOArtist #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #USCapitol #USCapitolBuilding #CapitolHill #WashingtonDC #ArchitectOfTheCapitol #America #USA #Diorama #AmericanHistory
View of US Capitol Building from D Street at New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington DC on Monday afternoon, 18 January 2021 by Elvert Barnes Photography
NATIONAL GUARD
Elvert Barnes COVID 19 Pandemic Part 5 New Year 2021 docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/CV19NewYear2021
Elvert Barnes Monday afternoon, 18 January 2021 In Preparation of 59th Presidential Inauguration US Capitol Complex docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/18January2021
110529-N-TT977-379
Actress Dianne Wiest greets Leesa Phillipon after telling the story of the loss of Phillipon's son, Marine Lance Cpl. Lawrence Phillipon in Iraq at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
Navy. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
Navy. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
110529-N-TT977-511
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shares a laugh with Gen. Colin Powell at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert reception at the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
110529-N-TT977-329
Actors Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna co-host the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
• Parts: 36,800+ (~1,130 unique)
• 📐 Scale: 1:650
• 📏 Dimensions: 32in x 51in (80cm x 130cm)
• 📚 Research, Design + Build Time: 4 months
• Photography: James Vitullo 📷
• ©️ MMXXIV - Rocco Buttliere, LLC
___________________________________
During a brief stint in Washington D.C. in 2023, I spent the better part of a summer evening exploring the grounds of Capitol Hill. Few landscapes invite as much inquiry along winding paths paired with plenty of moments for quiet introspection on marble benches; all in picturesque view of the Capitol dome. These on-site experiences are exactly the form of anecdotal justification I seek when considering whether to recreate such monumental places in the first place.
In tackling any work of such storied precedence as the US Capitol, I always seek to expand the conversation beyond existing works in the medium of plastic bricks. While the consistent 1:650 scale among my works has always ensured some level of originality, it is no guarantee of further insight that cannot already be gleaned from existing works by other artists. With this in mind, I set out to capture the full 100-acre site currently maintained by The Architect of the Capitol. What's more, the diorama depicts a particular time of year - specifically late March to early April - as illustrated by the iconic presence of hundreds of cherry blossoms rendered in two shades of light pink.
The diorama starts downhill at the trapezoidal Capitol Reflecting Pool, with the Grant Memorial taking pride of place along its eastern edge and the US Botanic Garden across the street to the south. The diorama expands from there, capturing the radiating pathways meandering uphill, as designed by Frederick Law Olmsted within the parcels laid out in the city plan by Pierre Charles L'Enfant. The piece culminates with the widely imitated US Capitol Building, perched atop a plinth projecting from the Capitol Visitor Center on the opposite side.
Topping everything off is a custom-made representation of the Statue of Freedom (as designed by Thomas Crawford), steadfastly overlooking the National Mall from atop the dome. The statue was designed in collaboration with BigKidBrix and was sized comparably to the minifigure statuette / trophy element.
The piece was designed over the course of about two months: first in December 2023 through January 2024, paused during the build-out of SPQR - Phase II, then resumed between March and April. The build-out lasted from July through August and was completed by September. The piece will soon be added to my personal gallery of works, now available for touring exhibitions.
#Artist #SupportArtists #FineArt #SmallBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #ChicagoArtist #LEGO #LEGOArchitecture #LEGOArt #LEGOArtist #InstaLEGO #GoBricks #USCapitol #USCapitolBuilding #CapitolHill #WashingtonDC #ArchitectOfTheCapitol #America #USA #Diorama #AmericanHistory
Anti-GOP (Impeach Trump) Demonstration before President Trump State of the Union Speech at US Capitol Building East Steps in NE Washington DC on Tuesday afternoon, 4 February 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography
Elvert Barnes PROTEST PHOTOGRAPHY 2020 at elvertbarnes.com/protests2020.html
Trip to Washington DC for Catering / Before Work Series
110529-N-TT977-534
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff delivers remarks at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert reception at the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
Thomas Edison
This statue of Thomas Edison was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Ohio in 2016. Edison’s statue replaced one of William Allen, which the state donated to the Collection in 1887.
•Artist: Alan Cottrill
•Material: Bronze
•State: Given by Ohio in 2016
•Location: National Statuary Hall, U.S. Capitol
Born on February 11, 1847, to a middle-class family in Ohio, Thomas Alva Edison became one of the world’s most celebrated and prolific inventors, amassing over a thousand patents during his lifetime. As an entrepreneur and businessman, he used mass-production techniques to ensure that his inventions spread around the world, bringing electric power and light, motion pictures, and sound recordings to millions.
Throughout his childhood, Edison was fascinated with scientific experiments. Between the ages of 16 and 20, while working as a telegraph operator, he decided to become an inventor. He received his first patent, for an electric vote recorder, in 1869. Subsequent profitable successes with stockticker and telegraph equipment allowed him to create a new type of facility in Menlo Park, New Jersey, in 1876. Consisting of a main laboratory, glass house, carpentry and machine shops, smithy, and other facilities, it was the precursor of the modern industrial research and development (R & D) laboratory; at its peak in the 1880s, it would employ as many as 60 experimenters, chemists, machinists, engineers, draftsmen, and support staff.
The first major invention at the facility was a carbon microphone that improved the audibility of telephone transmissions. Another project under way at the time was directed toward improving the telegraph repeater, which recorded and replayed messages composed of dots and dashes. Inspired to combine elements of the telephone with the repeater, Edison in 1877 recorded sound as indentations—first on paraffin-coated paper, then on wax cylinders, and finally on tinfoil. When the indentations were moved beneath a stylus, the sounds were reproduced. The phonograph brought Edison worldwide fame, and the press began to refer to him as a “wizard”; it would also remain his personal favorite of all his inventions.
In 1878, Edison began work on what would be his most far-reaching accomplishment: the largescale commercial distribution of electric light and power. Although electric light bulbs had existed since 1802, none had been long lasting or economical enough for widespread practical use. Edison’s new idea was to use a high-resistance filament rather than the low-resistance ones favored by other inventors, and in 1879, after thousands of experiments, his workshop produced a bulb that burned for 40 hours. Further experimentation with filament materials yielded one that would burn for a thousand. In 1887, Edison moved his “invention factory” from Menlo Park to a new, larger facility in West Orange, New Jersey. A major effort there concentrated on what Edison described as “an instrument which does for the eye what the phonograph does for the ear, which is the recording and reproduction of things in motion”; his Kinetograph and Kinetoscope would open the way for today’s film industry. Other work in the following decades included phonograph improvements, dictating machines, a fluoroscope, and the nickel-iron storage battery, a safety lamp for miners, and processes for manufacturing various chemicals. In the last years of his life he tried to develop a process for producing rubber from native American plant material.
Edison died of complications from diabetes on October 18, 1931, at his home in West Orange, and his remains are buried behind the home.
Edison received numerous awards during and after his lifetime for his inventions and his service to his nation and humanity. The first, in 1881, was a designation by the French Republic as an Officer of the Legion of Honor. It was followed by Italy’s Matteucci Medal for physics in 1887 and election to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1890. In addition to other international and professional awards, he was honored in 1920 with the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his work on defensive weapons during the first World War, and in 1928 he received the Congressional Gold Medal. Fittingly, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) have named high awards after Edison.
The Statue
In this statue, sculptor Alan Cottrill depicts a middle-aged Edison wearing a typical work suit, standing in a relaxed position with a bent right knee, and holding aloft the invention for which he is most widely celebrated—the electric light bulb. Assuming his characteristic stance with his left hand in his pocket, he raises the inverted cone-shaped bulb known as the Edison light bulb in his right hand; a similar bulb appears in a 1911 photograph of Edison. The pose evokes the Statue of Liberty. Above all, Cottrill sought to capture Edison’s “energy and sense of accomplishment,” aiming to convey his tireless activity. The bronze statue, inscribed EDISON on its self-base, stands on a speckled mahogany-colored granite pedestal with the simple inscription OHIO.
The Sculptor
Alan Cottrill was born in 1952 and raised in the Appalachian region of Ohio. In 1990 he discovered his affinity for working in clay, so he sold his business interests and dedicated himself to sculpture, studying in New York City at the Art Students League and the National Academy of Design. He also studied Human Anatomy at Columbia Medical Center and took numerous trips to Europe to study the world’s greatest sculptures in person.
In 1996 he and lifelong friend Charles Leasure founded the Coopermill Bronzeworks casting foundry in Zanesville, Ohio. To date they have cast well over 500 of Cottrill’s statues and hundreds of other sculptors’ works. Cottrill’s works are displayed throughout the nation at libraries, universities, memorial sites, and other venues. Among his subjects are Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt; football coach Woody Hayes; Olympian Jesse Owens; Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton; the Marquis de Lafayette; and figures honoring military personnel and war dogs, coal miners, firefighters, and Native Americans.
Navy. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
Thomas Edison
This statue of Thomas Edison was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Ohio in 2016. Edison’s statue replaced one of William Allen, which the state donated to the Collection in 1887.
•Artist: Alan Cottrill
•Material: Bronze
•State: Given by Ohio in 2016
•Location: National Statuary Hall, U.S. Capitol
Born on February 11, 1847, to a middle-class family in Ohio, Thomas Alva Edison became one of the world’s most celebrated and prolific inventors, amassing over a thousand patents during his lifetime. As an entrepreneur and businessman, he used mass-production techniques to ensure that his inventions spread around the world, bringing electric power and light, motion pictures, and sound recordings to millions.
Throughout his childhood, Edison was fascinated with scientific experiments. Between the ages of 16 and 20, while working as a telegraph operator, he decided to become an inventor. He received his first patent, for an electric vote recorder, in 1869. Subsequent profitable successes with stockticker and telegraph equipment allowed him to create a new type of facility in Menlo Park, New Jersey, in 1876. Consisting of a main laboratory, glass house, carpentry and machine shops, smithy, and other facilities, it was the precursor of the modern industrial research and development (R & D) laboratory; at its peak in the 1880s, it would employ as many as 60 experimenters, chemists, machinists, engineers, draftsmen, and support staff.
The first major invention at the facility was a carbon microphone that improved the audibility of telephone transmissions. Another project under way at the time was directed toward improving the telegraph repeater, which recorded and replayed messages composed of dots and dashes. Inspired to combine elements of the telephone with the repeater, Edison in 1877 recorded sound as indentations—first on paraffin-coated paper, then on wax cylinders, and finally on tinfoil. When the indentations were moved beneath a stylus, the sounds were reproduced. The phonograph brought Edison worldwide fame, and the press began to refer to him as a “wizard”; it would also remain his personal favorite of all his inventions.
In 1878, Edison began work on what would be his most far-reaching accomplishment: the largescale commercial distribution of electric light and power. Although electric light bulbs had existed since 1802, none had been long lasting or economical enough for widespread practical use. Edison’s new idea was to use a high-resistance filament rather than the low-resistance ones favored by other inventors, and in 1879, after thousands of experiments, his workshop produced a bulb that burned for 40 hours. Further experimentation with filament materials yielded one that would burn for a thousand. In 1887, Edison moved his “invention factory” from Menlo Park to a new, larger facility in West Orange, New Jersey. A major effort there concentrated on what Edison described as “an instrument which does for the eye what the phonograph does for the ear, which is the recording and reproduction of things in motion”; his Kinetograph and Kinetoscope would open the way for today’s film industry. Other work in the following decades included phonograph improvements, dictating machines, a fluoroscope, and the nickel-iron storage battery, a safety lamp for miners, and processes for manufacturing various chemicals. In the last years of his life he tried to develop a process for producing rubber from native American plant material.
Edison died of complications from diabetes on October 18, 1931, at his home in West Orange, and his remains are buried behind the home.
Edison received numerous awards during and after his lifetime for his inventions and his service to his nation and humanity. The first, in 1881, was a designation by the French Republic as an Officer of the Legion of Honor. It was followed by Italy’s Matteucci Medal for physics in 1887 and election to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1890. In addition to other international and professional awards, he was honored in 1920 with the Navy Distinguished Service Medal for his work on defensive weapons during the first World War, and in 1928 he received the Congressional Gold Medal. Fittingly, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) have named high awards after Edison.
The Statue
In this statue, sculptor Alan Cottrill depicts a middle-aged Edison wearing a typical work suit, standing in a relaxed position with a bent right knee, and holding aloft the invention for which he is most widely celebrated—the electric light bulb. Assuming his characteristic stance with his left hand in his pocket, he raises the inverted cone-shaped bulb known as the Edison light bulb in his right hand; a similar bulb appears in a 1911 photograph of Edison. The pose evokes the Statue of Liberty. Above all, Cottrill sought to capture Edison’s “energy and sense of accomplishment,” aiming to convey his tireless activity. The bronze statue, inscribed EDISON on its self-base, stands on a speckled mahogany-colored granite pedestal with the simple inscription OHIO.
The Sculptor
Alan Cottrill was born in 1952 and raised in the Appalachian region of Ohio. In 1990 he discovered his affinity for working in clay, so he sold his business interests and dedicated himself to sculpture, studying in New York City at the Art Students League and the National Academy of Design. He also studied Human Anatomy at Columbia Medical Center and took numerous trips to Europe to study the world’s greatest sculptures in person.
In 1996 he and lifelong friend Charles Leasure founded the Coopermill Bronzeworks casting foundry in Zanesville, Ohio. To date they have cast well over 500 of Cottrill’s statues and hundreds of other sculptors’ works. Cottrill’s works are displayed throughout the nation at libraries, universities, memorial sites, and other venues. Among his subjects are Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt; football coach Woody Hayes; Olympian Jesse Owens; Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton; the Marquis de Lafayette; and figures honoring military personnel and war dogs, coal miners, firefighters, and Native Americans.
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Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff applaude at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
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Navy Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of Naval Operations visits with House Minority Whip, Congressman Henny Stoyer prior the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
Navy. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
Navy. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
Navy. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
Navy. Adm. Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
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Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff speaks with U.S. Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey prior to the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)
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Gen. Martin Dempsey, U.S. Army Chief of Staff at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)