Keywords: smithsonian institution smithsonianinstitution united states national museum unitedstatesnationalmuseum usnm march 4, 1881 march41881 inaugural ball inauguralball james a. garfield jamesagarfield chester a. arthur chesteraarthur garlands festooned room arches ballroom 20th us president 20thuspresident america united states unitedstates war president theater smithsonian institution archives smithsonianinstitutionarchives march 4 march4 blackandwhite monochrome indoor black and white Description: The United States National Museum (USNM) Building is decorated for the March 4, 1881, inaugural ball of James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur, the first public use of the museum building. A broadside for the inaugural (neg # 72-1115) describes the decorations as "artistic, munificent, and attractive, embellished by the coats-of-arms of the different States, handsomely festooned with State flags and seals. In the central dome is the colossal 'Statue of America,' illustrative of peace, justice, and liberty; grasping in her uplifted hand an electric light, indicative of the skill, genius, progress, and civilization of the 19th century." Creator/Photographer: Unidentified photographer Medium: Black and white photographic print Dimensions: 8 in x 10 in Date: 1881 Persistent URL: siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_9252 Repository: Smithsonian Institution Archives Accession number: 44173 Description: The United States National Museum (USNM) Building is decorated for the March 4, 1881, inaugural ball of James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur, the first public use of the museum building. A broadside for the inaugural (neg # 72-1115) describes the decorations as "artistic, munificent, and attractive, embellished by the coats-of-arms of the different States, handsomely festooned with State flags and seals. In the central dome is the colossal 'Statue of America,' illustrative of peace, justice, and liberty; grasping in her uplifted hand an electric light, indicative of the skill, genius, progress, and civilization of the 19th century." Creator/Photographer: Unidentified photographer Medium: Black and white photographic print Dimensions: 8 in x 10 in Date: 1881 Persistent URL: siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_9252 Repository: Smithsonian Institution Archives Accession number: 44173 |