Ornamentation and Furnishings
The architect, Paul Philippe Cret, exercised restraint in the application of decoration to the building. He used bas-reliefs sparingly, high above the north (C Street) façade and for the fountain mask in the west courtyard. He used three-dimensional sculpture only once—to portray a majestic eagle over the building's south (Constitution Avenue) entrance. All other embellishments were flat ornament. Cret employed nationally recognized artists to complete the ornamentation of the building.
John Gregory (1879-1958), previously employed by Cret to design the nine exterior bas-reliefs for the Folger Library, sculpted the bas-reliefs on the exterior of the C Street entrance. Cret did not ask Gregory to specify the symbolic figures; rather, they were to be "merely figures holding the official emblem of the U.S."
The design of the west courtyard fountain includes a Dionysus-like mask selected from five designs provided by another sculptor, Walker Hancock (1901–99).
Sidney Waugh (1904–63), who designed the eagle sculpture, was selected because he had "a fine architectural sense . . . always flavored with a Classic background. . . . We believe he will be able to produce the eagle in the new Greek feeling conventionalized as is necessary to harmonize the sculpture with the architecture." Waugh's design was similar to his subsequent design for the Federal Trade Commission Building (1937–38).
Waugh also designed two light fixtures for the first-floor ceilings bounding the north and south ends of the atrium. As an exception to the traditional style of the interior embellishments, Cret permitted a modern digression in style and material for these fixtures: a sphere—the top half of glass, the bottom half of chrome pierced with openings in the shape of stars—encircled by a ring of Steuben glass bearing the twelve signs of the zodiac. The design first appeared commercially in 1935 on a bowl produced by the Steuben glass firm, for which Waugh was chief designer.
Samuel Yellin (1885-1940), the noted wrought-iron craftsman from Philadelphia, designed and executed the balustrades for the atrium stairs, the railing for the second-floor gallery surrounding the atrium, the gates for the passageway from the gallery to the corridor lined by the Board Room and Governors' offices, and a pair of elevator doors.
In the building's main (Constitution Avenue) lobby (the entrance was closed to daily use in the 1970s), places of honor were reserved for President Woodrow Wilson, "Founder of the Federal Reserve System" and Senator Carter Glass, "Defender of the Federal Reserve System." The memorials occupy niches on each side of the lobby and combine a bronze bas-relief portrait with a quotation. The sculptor Herbert Adams (1858-45), known for a neo-Renaissance style, was awarded both contracts. The clay model of Wilson was completed in December 1936, and the bronze bas-relief was in place in time for the dedication of the building on October 20, 1937. The Carter Glass bas-relief was not dedicated until December 23, 1938.
A large map of the United States, to be both decorative and functional, was planned for the Board Room. To ensure that the map would be functional, Chester Morrill, the Board Secretary, consulted Professor George Renner of Columbia University, who had worked on maps showing regional economic interests. Miller wanted the map to (1) be an original conception for the most important room in the new building, (2) indicate the boundaries of the states and the Federal Reserve Districts and Branches to reflect the regional character of the System, (3) use symbols representing the chief economic activities of each region, and (4) give the impression of age. Ezra Winter (1886-1943), a mural painter, was chosen from a list of six candidates drawn up by Cret himself.
The Board considered several interior decorators before awarding to Cret's firm the contract for the furniture and furnishings of the Board members' area, the Constitution Avenue lobby, the atrium, and the private dining rooms. The contract, awarded in April 1937, summarized the design effect sought by the Board as "of the early part of the 19th Century, sometimes referred to as Federal, influenced by the Sheraton, Regency, Empire and Duncan Phyfe periods, except the dining suite on the 4th floor which is in the period of the late 18th Century." Some chair specifications called for steamed bentwood. The contract to produce the furniture was awarded to the custom division of W&J Sloane, New York, with the architects having the final responsibility.
The light fixtures and mantel ornaments were provided by a subcontractor, Edward F. Caldwell Co., and were complementary to the design. In particular, an antique chandelier from the Chateau Malmaison, the retreat for Napoleon and Josephine, and owned by the Caldwell firm, was replicated for the Board members' offices.
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