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roundels inset in the valves (fig. 6). The door frames, also baywood mahogany with bird's-eye maple veneer, were em- bellished on the sides with grapevines where insects sit on the leaves (fig. 7). This is one of the few instances where the sketch and the executed doors differ: in the sketch, oak leaves rather than grapevines appear in the frames. Above each door is the bronze head of a classical female figure encircled with a wreath of bay leaf that was modeled by Joseph Wilson of New York. Other details of the doors also include rope, acanthus, and egg-and-dart moulding. The gal- lery doors were in place from c. 1857 until the 1949–1950 renovation of the House Chamber, at which time they were removed. The House Chamber gallery doors were, perhaps fittingly, the beginning and the end of Meigs's and Casali's work together. Unfortunately, Casali never completed these doors: after a brief and sudden illness he died in July 1857. Upon his death, Meigs wrote in his journal: "I lost a man Saturday, a great loss to my work. Casali, Federico Casali, the bronze artist is dead…. I know of no man who can take his place in our bronze works. He was an artist as well as a workman, and I could leave, as I did, everything in the shop to his direction with confidence in his honesty, integrity and skill." 20 The comple- tion of the doors was left to the French-born Joseph Lassalle, who was made foreman approximately a week after Casali's passing. Lassalle lobbied aggressively for the promotion, only days after Casali's death writing a letter to Meigs ask- ing to be considered for the position and stating he had been working in the shop for the last five months, and even that he had tended to Casali's work, which he claimed was his rather 20 THE CAPITOL DOME Fig. 7. The door frames of House Chamber Gallery Doors were decorated with grapevines.