• Visiting the New National Capital
• Pictures Worth a Thousand Words
• Modern Memories

The Tourist’s Capitol

/tiles/non-collection/2/2006_044_000.xmlCollection of the U.S. House of Representatives
About this objectPostcards of the Capitol were instantly recognizable as a memento from a Washington jaunt.

Starting around 1820—when the Capitol was fully functional—visitorsarrived to see the impressive building and to watch their government in action.The oldest objects included in this exhibition codify the Capitol as the seatof government, and the United States as an established nation with impressivesights to see. After the Civil War, the development of Washington, D.C.,accelerated, and the variety of landmarks to visit and ways to immortalize thetrip expanded rapidly. In the 20th century, the nature of souvenirs furtherexpanded with the market for commercially produced objects, many of which focuson the image of the Capitol itself and the public declaration of the visitor'sexperience.

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