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appreciation of the Capitol's decorative heritage, it offers unique insight into the American stained-glass craft as practiced in themid-nineteenth century. Currently packed away in boxes, plans to conserve these stained-glass masterpieces are underway. In the near future, the four "splendid" skylights will be reinstalled over the Capitol's grand staircases for the world to fully appreciate these jewels of America's cultural heritage.✯ JeanM. Farnsworth is an independent stained-glass historian and is continuing her research on the Gibsons. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I AM MOST GRATEFUL for the support of a United States Capitol Historical Society Fellowship, and to the following individuals who assisted me in my research and generously shared information: Barbara A. Wolanin, Curator, Architect of the Capitol, and staff members Ann Kenny, Andria Field, Jennifer Blancato, Pamela McConnell; William C. Allen, Architectural Historian, Office of Architect of the Capitol; Sandra Tatman, Executive Director, and Bruce Laverty, Curator of Archi- tecture, Athenaeumof Philadelphia; Art Femenella, Femenella&Associates;Mary C. Higgins, Clerkin Higgins Stained Glass; British stained-glass experts: Tony Benyon, glass painter and historian; Sarah Brown, Course Director,MA in Stained Glass Conservation and Heritage Management, University of York & Director of York Glaziers Trust; Stephen Clare, President Holly Well Glass & Advisor to the National Trust (Great Britain);NeilMoat,NewcastleDiocesanAdvisoryCommittee; Sally J. Rush, Senior Lecturer, University of Glasgow; Constance Grieff, architec- tural historian; James S. Bishop, Librarian, St. Andrew's Society, Philadelphia; Jamie Whitacre, ethnobotanic researcher; and Mimi LeBourgeois, for assistance identi- fying flowers. Specialmention is due to RosemaryDavisAbbott, JohnGibson's great great granddaughter, andmy husband Robert Lerner. Figure 8. TheGibson Building, 123-125 S. 11th Street, Philadelphia, as it appeared circa 1870. The property, purchased by JohnGibson in 1845, was the first of his numerous real estate invest- ments and is where the brothers operated their stained-glass establishment. Figure 9. This 1858Minnesota enamel- painted stained-glass seal, just one of the Gibsons'many "lost" works, was fabri- cated for theHouse Chamber skylight. When the skylight was dismantled in 1949, the seals were sent to the individual states, and their present whereabouts are unknown. The author hopes that they will eventually be located. WINTER 2012 THE CAPITOL DOME 17 COURTESY ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL COURTESY ROSEMARY DAVIS ABBOTT