Christmas Ornaments Featured In Library Exhibit

Christmas ornaments designed to commemorate the United States Capitol and the White House are featured in "A Capital Christmas," a new exhibit in the concourse on the first floor of Baylor University's Moody Memorial Library.
The display includes official Christmas ornaments commissioned each year by the White House and the United States Capitol historical associations. Information about each commemorative piece is presented in the exhibit cases.
The White House ornaments are designed to highlight U.S. presidents while the Capitol ornaments feature major artworks in the Capitol or the building itself. Several of these, including the 2001 edition, were made from the marble used in the construction of the original steps to the House of Representatives' wing installed between 1863 and 1865. The 2001 White House ornament is a three-dimensional replica of a carriage of the type used by President Andrew Johnson. It has a 24-karat gold finish and eight enameled colors.
Ben Rogers, archivist for the Baylor Collection of Political Materials, saw the special ornaments while in Washington, D.C., for a conference on congressional records and ordered them for the Baylor library.
The exhibit is open through December during library hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday except on holidays.
In addition to the ornament exhibit, the student lounge area of the library contains a Christmas tree that is decorated with ornaments designed by students.
"Our Staff Council cut out paper in shapes of bears, stars, angels and stockings and left pens and magic markers for students to design the ornaments and place them on the tree," said Nancy Pederson, special projects assistant for the Baylor library system. "Some students wrote favorite sayings, special people's names and other messages on the ornaments. Many have been artistic and painted faces on bears. Someone glued the paws of two bears labeled Lizzie and Randy, a bear couple I presume. The tree is very cute."
For more information, call 710-2112.