Archives Building Sketch in Watercolor Ceramic Ornament

Envisioned and drawn by a local artist, this National Archives building ornament comes printed with soft hues of yellow. The iconic image of the north portico of the Archives building shows the sheer grandeur of the temple of our history with its  Corinthian columns.

In 1930, New York Architect John Russell Pope was selected to design the National Archives Building. Pope’s neoclassical design included both practical and symbolic aspects of housing the nation’s records. He proposed a monumental structure with highly decorative architectural features, giant Corinthian columns, 40-foot bronze doors, and inscriptions representing the building’s historical importance. John Russell Pope also designed the National Gallery and the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.