The Great Hall East Side

Floor (East Corridor)

Floor (East Corridor)

The marble floor of the Great Hall contains a number of incised brass inlays. The center represents the sun, on which are noted the four cardinal points of the compass, which indicates the orientation of the building. A decorative scale pattern encloses the sun as a centerpiece.

Twelve squares at the perimeter of the floor of the Great Hall represent the signs of the zodiac. The other squares form two patterns of rosettes. They are embedded in blocks of dark red, richly mottled French marble, around which are borders of pure white Italian marble.

Proceeding clockwise from bottom left, the zodiac signs are Leo, Cancer, Gemini, Taurus, Aries, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Libra, and Virgo.

Youth and Old Age Archway

Youth and Old Age Archway

This Memorial Arch shows a young student seeking knowledge through reading. On the right an older man with flowing beard is shown absorbed in meditation, no longer concerned so much with a source of learning because the old man observes life and engages in original reflection and thought.

Along the frieze are words “Library of Congress,” inscribed in tall gilt letters. A second inscription names those involved in the building of the Library. The text reads:

Erected Under the Acts of Congress of
April 15, 1886; October 2, 1888; and March 2, 1889 by
Brig. Gen. Thos. Lincoln Casey
Chief of Engineers U.S.A.

• Bernard R. Green Supt. and Engineer

• John L. Smithmeyer Architect

• Paul J. Pelz Architect

• Edward Pearce Casey Architect

Federal Eagles

Federal Eagles

The federal eagles positioned throughout the building underscore that this is a federal government building. The bald eagle is an official emblem of the United States of America. It is one of the country’s most recognizable symbols and appears on most of its official seals.

Minerva

Minerva

Pictured on this mosaic in the arched panel is the Roman Goddess Minerva—guardian of civilization. She is portrayed as the Minerva of Peace, but according to the artist who created her, Elihu Vedder (American painter, 1836–1923), the peace and prosperity that she enjoys was attained only through warfare.

• A little statue of Nike, a representation of Victory, similar to those erected by ancient Greeks to commemorate their success in battle, stands next to Minerva. The figure is a winged female standing on a globe and holding out a laurel wreath (victory) and palm branch (peace) to the victors.

• Shield and Helmet: Although Minerva’s shield and helmet have been laid upon the ground, the goddess still holds a long, two-headed spear, showing that she never relaxes her vigilance against the enemies of the country that she protects.

• Scroll: Her attention is directed to an unfolded scroll that she holds in her left hand. On this is written a list of various fields of learning, such as Architecture, Law, Statistics, Sociology, Botany, Biography, Mechanics, Philosophy, Zoology, etc. Minerva is therefore also the Goddess of Learning, an activity that can thrive in a peaceful society.

• Owl: On Minerva’s right is an owl, symbolizing wisdom, perched upon the post of a low parapet.

• Inscription: Beneath the mosaic is an inscription from Horace’s Ars Poetica: Nil invita Minerva, quae monumentum aere perennius exegit, and translated as, Not unwilling, Minerva raises a monument more lasting than bronze.

Figures of Genius (East Corridor)

Figures of Genius (East Corridor)

At the corners of the ceiling are two female figures holding a shield showing the traditional symbols of learning, a torch and a book. The figures are made of stucco and were created by Philip Martiny (French sculptor, 1858–1927). Stars surround the figures, and cherubs fly above them.

Ceiling (East Corridor)

Ceiling (East Corridor)

During the renovation of the Jefferson Building during the 1990s, it was discovered that the metallic ornamentation of the ceiling, once thought to be silver leaf, is actually aluminum leaf. When the building was being constructed during the 1890s, aluminum was more precious than silver. The scale-pattern design of the six large skylights echoes that of the marble flooring beneath.