# US Capitol eastern front statues that were at top of steps

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-capitol-eastern-front-statues-that-were-at-top-of-steps/698674>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 16, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-capitol-eastern-front-statues-that-were-at-top-of-steps/698674 "2014-09-16T18:34:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-capitol-eastern-front-statues-that-were-at-top-of-steps/698674/1 "2014-09-16T18:34:52Z")

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So I’ve been watching the latest Ken Burns documentary on the Roosevelts on currently being aired on PBS. In several photographs of the various inaugurations (McKinley, T. Roosevelt, Taft, etc.) which are held on the Eastern side of the US Capitol building, there are two statues on each side at the top of the steps. They are seen very clearly in this photograph:

[![](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_inauguration#mediaviewer/File:Wilson-inaug.jpg) ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_inauguration#mediaviewer/File:Wilson-inaug.jpg)

of the set-up for Wilson’s inauguration in 1913. The left figure (looking at the photo) is of a man holding something up with a child looking upward. The right figure appears to be a woman demonstrating something also to a child.

As seen in this 2013 photo: [United States Capitol - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Capitol#mediaviewer/File:US_Capitol_east_side.JPG)

of the eastern side of the Capital, these statues are no longer there. I have visited the Capital numerous times and didn’t remember those being there.

Prior to Reagan’s inauguration, traditionally the presidential inauguration was held on the east side.

The last photo I can find with the statues there is of Kennedy’s 1961 inauguration.  
[http://www.inaugural.senate.gov/swearing-in/event/john-f-kennedy-1961](http://www.inaugural.senate.gov/swearing-in/event/john-f-kennedy-1961)

Anyone know what the statues are and what happened to them?

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-capitol-eastern-front-statues-that-were-at-top-of-steps/698674/2 "2014-09-16T18:52:20Z")

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[Discovery of America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_of_America_%28statue%29) and [The Rescue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rescue_%28statue%29).

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**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-capitol-eastern-front-statues-that-were-at-top-of-steps/698674/3 "2014-09-16T19:12:45Z")

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Wow, those are kind of offensive… in a way that only marble sculptures could have been.

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**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-capitol-eastern-front-statues-that-were-at-top-of-steps/698674/4 "2014-09-16T20:05:41Z")

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Thanks **Dewey**!

I bet Dan Snyder is lobbying for those things to be kept in storage.