Large Crowd Photographed at Lincoln's First Inaugural

A photographer captured the scene at Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural on March 4, 1861. The stand that was built for the ceremony, with a canopy over it, is visible in the center of the photograph. The construction crane for the assembly of the new Capitol dome is visible at the top of the photograph.



The statue of Christopher Columbus holding the globe is visible to the left of the inauguration stand. To the right, and somewhat behind, the stand is another statue, a depiction of a settler fighting an Indian. Both statues were removed from the Capitol in 1958.

Source: Robert McNamara, About.com