Photo Caption: While restoring the large and heavily overpainted Patent Corridor ceiling, AOC conservators found several campaigns of repainting, the most recent in the mid-1970s, but were able to recover the wide variety of original designs to allow their accurate restoration. Work on the ceiling will continue into 2015.

Required Supplementary Information

Stewardship of Heritage Assets

AOC is the steward of heritage assets located throughout Capitol Hill. In addition to the buildings and landscape, these assets include architectural fine and decorative art, architectural features, archival material and joint works of art. Many of these assets, both collectible and non-collectible (i.e., architectural), are national treasures.

The AOC Curator Division, including the Records Management and Archives Branch and the Photography Branch, manages the resources provided by Congress for the conservation of art and the preservation of other heritage assets, such as architectural drawings and photographs. AOC follows professional standards established by the American Institute for Conservation and the National Archives and Records Administration. The AOC Curator prepares recommendations to the Joint Committee on the Library regarding acquisition and placement of joint works of art and shares responsibility with the Senate and House Curators for the care of collectible fine and decorative art.

AOC’s Curator maintains detailed records for each work of art and manages computerized inventories of heritage assets. Footnote 8 AOC contracts with professional fine art conservators for needed repairs or treatments. The Curator maintains a library of conservation reports prepared in accordance with standards that require preservation work to be fully documented. The Curator provides advice to AOC’s jurisdictions on projects and contracts that involve heritage assets or preservation issues. The Records Management and Archives Branch preserves and maintains historic architectural and engineering drawings and textual records. The Branch also creates records policies. The Photography Branch documents facilities and projects, heritage assets and AOC and congressional events, and manages and preserves AOC’s photographic records archive. Some vital records, including microfilm and photographic negatives, are stored off-site in stable and secure conditions. Curator Division staff support numerous projects by conducting historical research and providing copies of photographs, drawings, records, specifications and reports.

AOC’s Historic Preservation Officer is responsible for preserving the architectural features of the historic buildings maintained by AOC. The Historic Preservation Officer works closely with the Curator in documenting, research- ing and providing information about buildings, reviewing projects, developing specifications and developing and implementing AOC’s Preservation Policy.

Footnote 8 The catalogue of the entire congressional art collection was last-published in 1978 in Art in the United States Capitol.