The Capitol Dome

2017 Dome 54.2

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T he articles presented in this issue of e Capitol Dome are tied together by the theme of recovery—shining light on art, stories, and documents that have been lost, buried, or ne- glected but "hidden in plain sight." Dr. Gonzalo Quintero Saravia's biographical treatment of Bernardo de Gálvez makes us appre- ciate congressmen's interest in hanging his por- trait where they could see it every day…in 1783. Although lost for most of the past 230-plus years, Gálvez's portrait can now be seen once again— hopefully with congressmen asking, not "why is this painting here?" but "why wasn't it here for so long ?" An accompanying article expands the story to include art's place in eighteenth-century diplomacy and the welcoming of the newest hon- orary citizen of the United States. Few know the Library of Congress's hall- mark Jefferson Building as thoroughly as the next contributor, Dr. Lynda Cooper. Her arti- cle deals with various details often overlooked by visitors overwhelmed by an abundance of marble, mosaic, and motifs. Particularly note- worthy is the exciting discovery of a possible source for the theme and arrangement of Ed- win Blashfield's mural "Human Understand- ing" high over the Main Reading Room. Buried deep in the National Archives are hun- dreds of documents written and/or signed by "A. Lincoln." Dr. David Gerleman, former assistant editor of the Lincoln Papers Project, probably holds the national record for discovering the most previ- ously-unknown Lincoln letters in his hand (fiy- plus). Dozens of others, bearing his signature or not, help to tell the story of Lincoln's single term in Congress. David has mined the Archives and brought all these buried documents to light while providing the context for the typical experi- ences of an antebellum congressman—before that congressman became a ver y un-typical president. Enjoy! William diGiacomantonio From the Editor's Desk

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