t's the end of an era. On Monday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced that they would shutter the House Page Program. Since 1827, young men, and later women, have worked alongside lawmakers, shuttling messages and documents between congressional offices. "We have great appreciation for the unique role that pages have played in the history and traditions of the House of Representatives," Boehner and Pelosi said in a joint statement, adding that the cost — $5 million annually — means the program is no longer feasible or necessary, particularly in light of today's fiscal hardships and technological advances. (The Senate is continuing its own page program.) Here, a look back at congressional pages through the years.