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Lawrence Laser, Now the Capitol's Assistant Electrical Engineer, Points to the Oldest Chandelier


Lawrence Laser, Now the Capitol's Assistant Electrical Engineer, Points to the Oldest Chandelier (Acc. No. 38.01270.001)
Lawrence Laser, Now the Capitol's Assistant Electrical Engineer, Points to the Oldest Chandelier (Acc. No. 38.01270.001)

Title Lawrence Laser, Now the Capitol's Assistant Electrical Engineer, Points to the Oldest Chandelier
Artist/Maker Washington Post News Service
Date 1969-10
Medium Photograph, black and white
Dimensions h. 9.875 x w. 8 in. (h. 25.0825 x w. 20.32 cm)
Credit Line U.S. Senate Collection
Accession Number 38.01270.001


  • Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings
  • Sticker (verso, top left, printed): abu 205
    Inscription (verso, top right, handwritten in black ink): D C / Capitol
    Newspaper clipping (verso, center, printed, adhesive used): [b]y ARRON LATHAM / Washington Post Service / WASHINGTON — "The / chandeliers in the White / House used to bother Theo- / dore Roosevelt," says Law- / rence Laser, who has helped / light Capitol Hill for half a / century. "The wind used to / blow through them and they / tinkled." / Roosevelt, an old Rough / Rider who admired guns and / horses a great deal more than / crystal lighting fixtures, got / fed up with the tinkle and in / 1903 ordered eight chandeliers / moved from his office and the / corridor that led to it. / The eight were taken to the / Capitol and that began the / revolution. Soon everyone / wanted one in his office and / there weren't nearly enough / to go around. Today Teddy / Roosevelt's eight unwanted / chandeliers have spawned a / total of 389 others, the latest / bought only six months ago. / LASER, now the Capitol's / assistant electrical engineer, / has made the study of all / these chandeliers a consum- / ing hobby. / When he first came to wor[k] / on the Hill in 1921 as an assi[s-] / tant switchboard operator / the old "Dynamo Roo[m"]
    Stamp (verso, center of newspaper clipping, in brown/red ink): NOV 11 1969
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  • Life Under the Dome: The President's Room (Digital Collection)
    Popular Culture: The Press (Digital Collection)
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