Known evidence seems to indicate that Brumidi died poor. This has led many to believe that the Government of the United States did not pay him sufficiently for his services. Even George C. Hazelton stated in 1903, “The late artist’s designs (for the frieze) were promptly appropriated without remuneration to his family for the thought and labor which they contained.” Were it not for the fact, already quoted, from the Report of the Architect of the Capitol for October 1, 1881, that the designs for these sections of the frieze were left by Brumidi only in small size and that Mr. Costaggini had to make the full sized cartoons, we might not recognize Hazelton’s error of statement. It is well to remember that Mr. Brumidi was working on a per diem basis ($10.00 a day) during the last few years of his life when his labors were interrupted by sickness. It is well to remember also that the artist worked for $8.00 per day during the years 1855 and 1856. During 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, and part of 1861, he worked also on a per diem basis, but at a salary of $10.00 per day. Monthly vouchers for these years, averaging about two hundred sixty dollars per month and signed “C. Brumidi,” are preserved today by the Architect’s office. In fact, most of the money paid the artist by the Government of the United States during his twenty-five years of service is recorded in voucher form and each voucher signed “C. Brumidi.” From 1861 to 1872 were Brumidi’s best years financially, these being the years he received contract prices for his paintings. On March 11, 1863, Mr. Brumidi signed a contract with the Government to paint the Canopy of the Dome for $40,000.00. (This contract is preserved in the Capitol Brumidi file.) A portion of a letter written by the Secretary of the Interior, dated November 6, 1863, refers to this contract: “In March last an agreement was entered into with Mr. C. Brumidi for painting the canopy over the eye of the new dome of the Capitol in real fresco at an entire cost, including the cartoons and every other expense of not over $40,000, payment to be made in monthly bills as the work progresses, not to exceed $2,000 each.” According to the old vouchers in the Architect’s office, the artist was actually paid $39,500 (chiefly in $2,000 installments) between 1863 and 1866, five hundred dollars having been withheld until the canopy should be declared finished. Brumidi died before this five hundred dollars was paid. The years 1872, 1873, and 1874 were still contract years, but they were lean years, as only six vouchers totaling $2,350 can be found that were issued to the artist during those three years, and we find no Brumidi vouchers in the architect’s file for the years 1875 and 1876.