CAPITOL ROTUNDA

Pass through the massive bronze Columbus doors at the main east entrance and you're in the Rotunda—a circular hall, 96 fed in diameter, which is The heart of the Capitol.

It is a striking introduction to the Capitol as a great museum of art. An
imperious bronze Washington, at left, and a pensive marble Lincoln, against the opposite wall, stand guard. Eight huge oil paintings of events in U.S. history circle the walls. The two viable here, by John Trumbull, are ''The Surrender of Cornwallis" (left) and "Washington Resigning His Commission."

The Rotunda has been a stage for historic drama also. In
Civil War days. Union soldiers barracked here. In 1865, a.
slain Lincoln lay in state here while a nation mourned- His
name became the first in a roll call of 17 dead who have been
thus honored. The latest name is that of John F, Kennedy,

ROTUNDA CEILING

Framed in the soft light of the Rotunda ceiling, 18O feet
above, is the masterpiece of an artist who contributed more
than any other one person to the Capitol's interior beauty.

He was Constantino Bruniiclr, .in Italian, who came to the
United States in 1852. He devoted the last 25 years of his
life to beautifying the Capitol of his adopted country,

The circular fresco above depicts, in allegory, the glorification of George Washington, Urumidi spent 11 months lying on a scaffold to complete the 4,6 64-square-foot work,

CRYPT BELOW ROTUNDA

Beneath the Rotunda is a huge circular hall known as the
Crypt because it was originally designed to hold the tomb of
George Washington. His heirs, however, would not allow his
body to be moved from Mount Vcrnon.111

Among its displays is a scale model of the Capitol, 12 feet
long, built in 1904 To illustrate the proposed East Front . The idea aroused such opposition at that time that it was shelved, not achieving reality until 57 years later.

STATUARY HALL

We now begin a tour of the House side of the Capitol, This
is Statuary Hall, one of the must historic rooms In the building,
If was the House Chamber   now it is a national hall of fame. The statues of noted Americans were contributed by the various states whom they represent, As the House Chamber, this room reverberated—literally—



VIEW-MASTER REEL 1

EAST FRONT OF CAPITOL

Many visitors, on first seeing the Capitol, feel a thrill tinged
with disbelief. It seems somehow unreal that (his classic build-
ing, so familiar in pictures, should actually be there, rising
bold and white against the sky.

Here at the main entrance, the famous East Front, where
almost every President since Jackson has been inaugurated, we
can imagine the high-pitched Midwestern twang, of Lincoln's
voice saying, "With malice toward none;' and the Bostonian
accent of Kennedy: "Ask not what your country can do for
you—ask what you can do for your country."

The portion of the East Front between the two wings is
new. The front was extended forward 33 feet between 1958
and 1961, faithfully reproducing in marble the design of the
old sandstone front. The extension not only enhanced the
beauty of the exterior, but added 102 new rooms to The interior,

Q AERIAL ViEW OF CAPITOL HILL

The Capitol and The large buildings near it compose what
Washington refers to simply as  "The Hill." In the left foreground arc the three House Office Buildings; at lower right, the Library of Congress. Continuing counterclockwise, we see a small corner of the Supreme Court, then the Old Senate Office Building. The Capitol's East Front is toward us.

FLAG AND STATUE OF FREEDOM

From a height of 287 feet—tallest point in the city except
for the 555-foot Washington Monument—the Statue of Freedom looks out over Washington. The 19-foot statue was raised the top of the Dome in 1S63. By law, no building in the city may be taller.