# What's the most depicted building in America? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2007, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103 "2007-09-05T11:08:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/1 "2007-09-05T11:08:24Z")
Although this is in CS, it’s really a GQ. What is the most photographed building in the US? What is the most drawn, sketched, or etched? What building finds itself the most depicted in paintings? What is the most depicted building in the entire world? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/2 "2007-09-05T11:17:26Z")
In the US? For non-governmental buildings, the Empire State, hands down. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/3 "2007-09-05T11:38:46Z")
I dunno, I think the Chrysler Building is more distinctive. It’s the first one that came to my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/4 "2007-09-05T11:51:06Z")
My guess is the [United States Capitol](http://flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/394014266/). And for the whole world, the Eiffel Tower. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/5 "2007-09-05T12:06:05Z")
Google Image search hits: Chrystler Building 1350 Sears Tower 68,500 Statue of Liberty 263,000 Capitol Building 290,000 Pentagon 729,000 Empire State building 992,000 World Trade Center 4,250,000 (Ground Zero 1,620,000) ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/6 "2007-09-05T12:11:25Z")
Hmm, I don’t know if I’d call the Statue of Liberty a “building.” But if it **is** a building it surely wins hands down. The White House has to be high up on the list, even higher than the Capitol, as a symbol of the U.S. government (or failure of government in the last six years). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/7 "2007-09-05T12:29:38Z")
How about the US treasury? - there’s a picture of it on one of your currency denominations, isn’t there? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/8 "2007-09-05T12:33:28Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] How about the US treasury? - there’s a picture of it on one of your currency denominations, isn’t there? [/QUOTE] On that basis, Monticello has to be fairly high up, since it’s on the nickel. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/9 "2007-09-05T12:39:05Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] How about the US treasury? - there’s a picture of it on one of your currency denominations, isn’t there? [/QUOTE] Maybe someone can correct me, but no. The one dollar bill has no actual buildings, the five dollar has the Lincoln Memorial. The ten and twenty dollar bill have the White House. And the one hundred dollar bill have Independence Hall. Oh and the fifty dollar has the Capital Building in DC. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/10 "2007-09-05T12:43:48Z")
[QUOTE=bigbabysweets2000] Maybe someone can correct me, but no. The one dollar bill has no actual buildings, the five dollar has the Lincoln Memorial. The ten and twenty dollar bill have the White House. And the one hundred dollar bill have Independence Hall. Oh and the fifty dollar has the Capital Building in DC. [/QUOTE] Lincoln Memorial is on the back of the penny, too. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/11 "2007-09-05T12:48:01Z")
[QUOTE=Triskadecamus] Google Image search hits: Chrystler Building 1350 [/QUOTE] Yes, but the Chrysler Building gets me 106,000 hits. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/12 "2007-09-05T12:48:56Z")
[QUOTE=bigbabysweets2000] The ten and twenty dollar bill have the White House. [/QUOTE] The $10 bill has the U.S. Treasury, which is next door to the White House, but definitely not the same building ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/13 "2007-09-05T12:49:24Z")
[QUOTE=bigbabysweets2000] Maybe someone can correct me, but no. The one dollar bill has no actual buildings, the five dollar has the Lincoln Memorial. The ten and twenty dollar bill have the White House. And the one hundred dollar bill have Independence Hall. Oh and the fifty dollar has the Capital Building in DC. [/QUOTE] The ten has the treasury building. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/14 "2007-09-05T12:55:38Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] The ten has the treasury building. [/QUOTE] Holy crap, you’re right. At a glance it beared a strong resemblance to the White House for me, thanks for my predicted correction. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/15 "2007-09-05T13:27:30Z")
That sounds about right. How about original paintings, excluding that which is mass produced? ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/16 "2007-09-05T15:47:11Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] How about original paintings, excluding that which is mass produced? [/QUOTE] [Motif #1?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motif_Number_1) It’s certainly the most painted building in my area. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/17 "2007-09-05T15:56:52Z")
Wow. I am my own threadkiller. The very ground trembles where I tread. Fear me. Where I’m heading with this thread is that I’ve heard the claim that [this building](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motif_Number_1) is the most photographed and painted building in the US, possibly in the world. In fact, I repeated that claim to an out-of-town artist (I’d link his website, but apparently it is suspended for non-payment) on Sunday. (Guess what we were both painting at the time?) He was skeptical, thinking that Big Ben or the Eiffel Tower or St. Peter’s Cathedral would be more popular. Even in the US, surely there is a more popular building to paint. I’m willing to bet that the above mentioned buildings are more photographed, but I hardly see them as subjects of paintings. Maybe the Sears tower in Chicago. So what of the claim? Does it have any basis in fact, or is it just PR from the Chamber of Commerce? (As an aside, it certainly wins in my apartment. Aside from my own photos, drawings and paintings, I have a little model, a fridge magnet, an ashtray, a beer glass, a framed painting reproduction, a framed photo, and Og knows how many brochures. US Treasury? Not a single image.) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/18 "2007-09-05T15:58:38Z")
[QUOTE=dinahmoe] [Motif #1?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motif_Number_1) It’s certainly the most painted building in my area. [/QUOTE] D’oh! Interesting simulpost! As yet another interesting aside, that artist I was talking to said “This area is really beautiful! But why is that red building there?” It made a funny story to tell the locals. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/19 "2007-09-05T16:11:28Z")
I would think that the Flatiron would be more photographed. It’s much more accessible to have a picture taken of it than the Chrysler building (the views are better for a layman photographer, imo). ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103/20 "2007-09-05T19:36:52Z")
Wouldn’t the most painted building in the world have to be some European castle that predates that house by a few hundred years? Paint has been around longer than 1840. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-depicted-building-in-america/418103.md?page=2)