Gifts from Capitol Hill

For those of you working on Capitol Hill and wondering what to get the
history buff in your life, there are a few places perfect for some
only-in-D.C. gifts.

Library of Congress Gift Shop

The Library of Congress gift shop is located in the Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress. Kevin Flood, retail marketing adviser for the Library of Congress, said the shop has an annual ornament that they’re offering for the holidays.

{mosads}“They’ve become collector’s items over time. People come back year after year to get them,” he said. “We’ve been doing the ornaments for eight or nine years now and they’ve become a real part of the sales program.”

The shop also has a number of other items focused on the holidays, including other ornaments related to the Jefferson building and holiday prints.

“Some of the prints have D.C. buildings in them,” Flood said. “There’s also a number of photographs offered for sale dealing with D.C. monuments.”

Flood said that while tourists make up the bulk of the buyers in the shop, there are also many Capitol Hill residents who walk up at one point or another.

“We have everything imaginable here, from 50-cent pencils to more expensive items like the first map that ever mentioned the word America on it.”

The map, originally created in 1505, is exhibit quality worth over $300.

Flood said this year is particularly exciting for the shop, as they are focused in a way they haven’t been in previous years due to lack of staff and resources.

“Business Enterprises, the organization arranged last October, is really focused and dedicated to bringing a lot of good holiday things to the shop,” he said.

Capitol Historical Society

The Capitol Historical Society was started in 1962 by a former member of Congress, Fred Swengel. It began with a book called “We the People,” which Swengel went around selling on his own, and the society grew from there.

“Our mission is to educate the public about the Capitol and Congress and the people who work there through funds that we raise through sales, gifts and other educational resources,” said Diana Wailes, vice president of merchandising for the historical society.

{mosads}The society’s educational mission is through schools, seminars, symposiums as well as an intern program. As far as gifts this holiday season, Wailes said the society is offering an ornament crafted from marble from the House steps. “The ornament is the most popular gift. It has been a tradition since 1993,” Wailes said. “We did a series made of marble.”

The society also designs medals as gifts. This year’s theme is the “Lincoln Inaugural,” Wailes said.

A lot of individuals come into the historical society’s offices, but there is an online store for those around the country interested in the gifts. The Capitol Visitor Center also sells historical society items.