Library of Congress: Jefferson Building
Perhaps Casey's claim to fame is his work on the Thomas Jefferson building in the Congressional Library, in Washington D.C. The Jefferson building is the first building of the Library of Congress, which serves not only Congress but also acts as a central source for resources collection and for copyright for the US Nation. The Jefferson building is one of the world's largest and most ornate library structures, with works of art commissioned from over 50 American painters and sculptures: it is a tribute to the value of learning, to the right to life-long education, to democracy, and to the importance of libraries in education and in building a sense of citizenship, and in propagating and safeguarding the value of culture, participation, of comprehensive and inclusive collecting of peoples' written heritage across centuries, ethnicities, disciplines, mediums, and provenance.
The Library of Congress was established by an act of Congress in 1800 when President John Adams signed a bill providing for the transfer of the seat of government from Philadelphia to the new capital city of Washington. The legislation described a reference library for Congress only, containing "such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress - and for putting up a suitable apartment for containing them therein…"
In January 1815, Congress accepted Jefferson's offer, appropriating $23,950 for his 6,487 books, and the foundation was laid for a great national library. The Jeffersonian concept of universality, the belief that all subjects are important to the library of the American legislature, is the philosophy and rationale behind the comprehensive collecting policies of today's Library of Congress.
After, History of the Library of Congress: About us/history: https://www.loc.gov/about/history-of-the-library/
http://www.loc.gov/visit/tours/online-tours/jefferson-building-chronology/
Once the agreement was reached to start a congressional Library, work began in 1888 on laying the foundation of the building. Bernard Green was appointed superintendent of construction in March, but work was stopped in June by a vote of the House of Representatives. Congress placed Gen. Thomas L. Casey of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in charge of the construction in October; he was to be assisted by Green. Smithmeyer was dismissed as architect, and Paul J. Pelz, his former assistant, was put in charge instead. Construction resumed, and Congress asked Casey to submit a new plan for a building that will cost no more than $4 million. In December, Casey submitted two plans: one for $4 million, and the more elaborate Smithmeyer & Pelz design, which would cost approximately $6 million. In 1892, Paul J. Pelz was dismissed as the architect in May, and in December, Edward Pearce Casey, the son of Gen. Thomas Casey, was appointed architect and placed in charge of all interior design and decoration of the Jefferson building, and began to supervise the interior work, including sculptural and painted decoration by more than 50 American artists.
After Library of Congress History: the Buildings; About Us: http://www.loc.gov/visit/tours/online-tours/jefferson-building-chronology/
When the Library of Congress building opened its doors to the public on November 1, 1897, it was hailed as a glorious national monument and "the largest, the costliest, and the safest" library building in the world.
After, History of the Library of Congress: About us/history: https://www.loc.gov/about/history-of-the-library/
In December of 1892, Edward Pearce Casey, the son of Gen. Thomas Casey, was appointed architect and placed in charge of all interior design and decoration: Casey worked for five years on the interior decoration of the Jefferson building, working closely with artists, decorators, and engineers, until the completion of the building five years later, in 1897. The resulting building, and the exquisite internal decoration, with mosaics, columns, sculptures, frescoes depicting cultural symbols, poems, citations, mythological figures, statues from across cultures, was a feat unmatched.
The Commemorative Arch: The arcade at the center of the East side of the Great Hall takes the form of a triumphant arch commemorating the construction of the building. The words LIBRARY OF CONGRESS are inscribed in tall gilt letters above the arch. A marble tablet inscribed with the names of the building's construction engineers and architects is part of the parapet immediately above. The tablet, flanked by two majestic eagles, reads:
Erected under the acts of Congress of April 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
The spandrels of the arch beneath the inscriptions contain two signed sculptured figures by Olin Levi Warner titled The Students. The figure on the left is a youth seeking to acquire knowledge from books; on the right, an old sage is engaged in thought and reflection: youth and old age alike never cease to learn.
When its doors opened to the public in 1897, the Library of Congress represented an unparalleled national achievement; its elaborately decorated interior, embellished by works of art from nearly fifty American painters and sculptors, linked the United States to classical traditions of learning and simultaneously flexed American cultural and technological muscle.
A fresco of Minerva: wisdom is all things...
Presiding over the Library of Congress from a central position is Minerva, the Roman Goddess of learning and wisdom. In this mosaic by Elihu Vedder (1836-1923), she is portrayed as the Minerva of Peace and appears as the guardian of civilization with her armor partly laid aside. Her attention is directed to an unfolded scroll that she holds in her left hand on which is written a list of various fields of learning, such as Architecture, Law, Statistics, Sociology, Botany, Biography, Mechanics, Philosophy, Zoology, etc. A small statue of Nike, a representation of victory or achievement, similar to those erected by the ancient Greeks to commemorate 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. On Minerva's right is an owl, symbolizing wisdom, perched upon the post of a low parapet.
Online tour, Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/visit/tours/online-tours/thomas-jefferson-building/great-hall/