|
||
|
|
|
|
Rare early view of Iowa's Capitol Building, printed in Swedish in Des Moines, Iowa by the Western Lithographing Company.
This apparently unrecorded view of the Iowa Capitol Building was a keepsake printed for the the Independent Order of the Svithiod, a Swedish American Fraternal Society founded in 1881 and dedicated to promoting and preserving the heritage of the Scandinavian people in the United States. The first meeting was held on December 3rd, 1880, at Bowman's Hall, now 370 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL. On March 14, 1881, Simon Hallberg was officially elected Chariman of the newly-formed organization and a committee was appointed to draft the by laws. The Independent Order of Svithiod, a fraternal beneficial society, was officially chartered on September 2, 1881.
The Iowa Capitol was designed and begun by John C. Cochrane & Alfred H. Piquenard and finished by M .E. Bell & W. F. Hackney. The Capitol Building was formally opened in 1888.
The Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines was built between 1871 and 1886, and is a fine example of 19th century architecture. The dome is constructed of steel and brick. A belvedere on top of the large dome features a golden lantern at the top. In addition, four smaller golden lanterns are each attached to copper-covered domes at every corner of the building. These four domes are decorated with vertical lines of intermittent gold, giving each a braided look. Iowa was the 29th state in the Union, joining in 1846.
The view is apparently very rare. In fact, we could find no record of the view or the Western Lithographing Company of Des Moines, Iowa.
