Lie on the rotunda floor of the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines and look up: this is what you will see. The blue sky is a suspended canvass. Also suspended is the 1922 banner of the Grand Army of the Republic. The GAR was a fraternal organization of Union Civil War veterans. It ended in 1956 with the last member’s death. This dome is actually a false ceiling. Above it is the exterior brick dome covered in gold leaf. Further up is the cupola. This last feature can only be reached by another staircase.