Capitol Silhouette © 2010 Bo Mackison
The State Capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin was designed by George B. Post & Sons and built between the years of 1906 and 1917 at a cost of 7.25 million dollars. The Wisconsin State Capitol is 284.4 feet high from the ground floor to the top of the statue on the dome–37 inches shorter than United States Capitol in Washington. The dome is topped by a gilded bronze statue called “Wisconsin” created by Daniel Chester French. This statue was placed atop the dome in 1914, stands over 15 feet tall, and weigh more than 3 tons. “Wisconsin” holds a globe in her left hand with an eagle perched atop the sphere. Atop her helmet is a badger, Wisconsin’s state animal.
Wisconsin has the only granite dome in the United States; it is constructed of White Bethel Vermont granite, one of the whitest and hardest marbles found in the world. It is also the only state capitol built on an isthmus.
The building is open to the public on weekdays from 8 am to 6 pm and on weekends from 8 am to 4 pm. There are frequent tours throughout the day, excluding some holidays.
The State Capitol building is a National Historic Landmark and on the National and Wisconsin Registers of Historic Places.
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Bo Mackison is a Madison based photographer who enjoys shooting historic places. She has a large series of photographs of the Wisconsin Capitol Building, including interior photographs, detailed shots, exterior elevations, and the surrounding grounds. All are available for licensing and publication. Some prints are also available. For more information, contact Bo at bo@historicplacesphotography.com.
Arizona Capitol Museum © 2010 Bo Mackison
Although this building is often referred to as Arizona’s State Capitol, it is actually Arizona’s original territorial capitol building and the first state capitol. The Capitol was replaced by modern legislative office buildings in 1960, and the building truly fitting of the title “Capitol” has been restored and is currently a museum.
The museum features the governor’s office, Senate and House Chambers as they were in the year 1912, the year Arizona officially became the 48th State of the Union. The copper roofed dome dates to 1878. The copper is fitting–the mining of copper has been a significant source of income for the state.
The dome is capped with a white statue called Winged Victory. Winged Victory is in fact a weathervane, and can be viewed from inside the building through a window at the uppermost part of the dome. It swings freely with the wind currents.
The main entrance pediment is decorated with an unusual copper filigree design which looks uncannily like the pattern of a state snake, the glossy, brown and black Arizona elegans.
Exterior of Arizona Capitol Musuem © 2010 Bo Mackison
The Capitol was designed and built by James Riely Gordon, an architect from San Antonio Texas, in the Neoclassical style with some Spanish influences. It was built in 1899-1900 at a cost of $136,000. It was the territorial statehouse for 12 years prior to Arizona’s statehood. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Bo Mackison loves to photograph special places Phoenix and other great parts of the state. Photos are available of various historic places in Arizona for licensing and publication. For information, contact Bo at bo@historicplacesphotography.com.