Lincoln and the Dome

working sketch
finished mural

"Lincoln and the Dome"

Found in Schwengel Lincoln Collection on exhibit in Pickler Memorial Library, 3rd floor gallery

The cartoon (top left) is by Allyn Cox & Clifford Young, ca 1973
This cartoon was the working sketch for Cox’s mural “NEW DOME SYMBOLIZES UNION – 1863”,

It is located in the “The Hall of Capitols”, United States Capitol
(north-south corridor, east side of the House wing ).

This collection describes the creation and restoration of “The Hall of Capitols” (top right).

The Cox Cartoon in the Library

Artist Allyn Cox gave the cartoon for “Lincoln and the Dome” to Congressman Fred Schwengel, President of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, shortly after he completed the mural in 1974, and Schwengel later included it with the books and art he began donating to Pickler Memorial Library in 1976.

Unfortunately, during its sojourn from the Capitol to Pickler, the cartoon received some water damage and its condition continued to deteriorate through the years it was in storage here. Some serious conservation work had to be done before it could be placed on exhibit. In 1998, with the support of Mrs Ethel Schwengel and her family, the Library undertook the conservation project. Heugh-Edmondson Conservation Services of Kansas City, MO, the firm selected for the work, completed the restoration in February 2000.

For information concerning this exhibit, contact: speccoll@truman.edu