BB French

When doing research at the Library of Congress, one of the greatest perks for me was simply being able to walk right across First St SE to the US Capitol. And, thinking back on it, I keep delighting in a small but playful table that was on display in the visitor center. Placed almost casually against a pier in Emancipation Hall, most people overlooked it in their haste hurrying on to the House or Senate chambers but the table was well worth just pausing there for one moment. A small card next it read:

“This table was made from surplus ironwork cast for the Capitol dome, which was built during the Civil War. BB French, the Commissioner of Public Buildings, had the table made for his own use but loaned it for President Abraham Lincoln’s second inauguration.”

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