"The Recorder of the Archives" ca. 1935 (detail)
Design by James Earl Fraser
Modeled by Laura G. Fraser
Carved by the John Donnelly Company
Fraser’s "Recorder of the Archives" pediment on the Constitution Avenue side of the building is an allegorical treatment of the archival process. In it, a male figure sits upon a throne holding the keys to the Archives. He accepts and catalogs the nation's most precious documents in a large book that rests on his lap. The throne rests upon recumbent rams, which symbolize parchment. Figures nearby accept important documents for cataloging, while other groups gather less significant ones. Winged horses symbolizing inspiration stand in the background, and groups of dogs, symbols of guardianship, are at either end of the pediment.
