The figures of little boys on the staircase are known as “putti” in Italian Renaissance art and represent the various occupations and pursuits of contemporary American life when the Jefferson Building was completed in 1897.

• A gardener, with spade and rake.

• An entomologist, with an insect specimen box slung over his shoulder, running to catch a butterfly with his net.

• A student, with a book in his hand and a mortarboard on his head.

• A printer, with type, a press, and a type case.