Ticket, 1939 Congressional Welcome of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, 76th Congress

In 1939, King George VI became the first reigning British monarch to visit the United States. Following a cross-Canada tour, the king and his royal consort, Queen Elizabeth, spent five days in America hoping to increase popular support for U.S. aid to Great Britain in the event of war. The historic trip included a visit to the U.S. Capitol where members of the Senate and House of Representatives welcomed their Britannic majesties with an official reception in the Rotunda. Outside on the Capitol's east front plaza, ticket holders assembled for a large congressional welcome for the king and queen. When the sovereigns exited the Capitol, the guests on the plaza, many seated in an estimated 3,500 chairs, burst into applause. Among those gathered was the bearer of this ladies’ ticket for “ladies, young girls, and boys under 12 years of age.”