Nebraska State Capitol, Lincoln 1969

This photo captures the striking silhouette of the Nebraska State Capitol in the late 1960s, rising above Lincoln with its distinctive Art Deco tower and copper-domed lantern. Completed in 1932 and designed by architect Bertram Goodhue, the building was the first state capitol in the U.S. to be constructed with a functional high-rise design—replacing the traditional domed rotunda layout seen across the country. At 400 feet tall, it remains one of Nebraska’s most recognizable landmarks and a symbol of its unicameral (single-house) legislature, the only one of its kind in the United States.

In the foreground, the quiet street and boxy mid-century office buildings reflect a growing and modernizing capital city. A handful of late-1960s American cars sit parked along the curb, grounding the scene firmly in its era. The warm evening light softens the concrete and limestone, giving the skyline a subtle golden tone—a calm portrait of Nebraska’s political and architectural heart during a period of great American change.