Fidelity, Electricity and Steam

Carved into the arched Eighth Street carriage entrance of the former U.S. Post Office and Patent Office, Guido Butti’s detailed spandrel carvings are an allegorical representation of the early U.S. postal service. On the left, a winged female figure holds a lightning bolt and scroll, representing electricity and the transportation of news by the telegraph. On the right, a winged male figure, representing steam, holds a small locomotive and symbolizes the delivery of mail by train. The female head carved into the central keystone is an emblem of fidelity, and signifies the diligence and reliability of the U.S. Post Office Department.



In 2000, the building was leased by the U.S. General Services Administration to the Kimpton Group, and both the building and sculpture underwent restoration. At that time, the sculpture was found to be in poor condition, and required extensive conservation, including the replication of several missing pieces. Unsure of what the missing pieces should look like, art conservators traced correspondence from the 1850s, archived at the Library of Congress, between the chief construction engineer, Montgomery C. Meigs, and the curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in order to find the original plaster cast. The 141-year old cast was found hanging over the grand staircase in the museum, where it had been placed in 1859. The cast was used to replicate the missing details of the marble sculpture.