Here’s an excellent photo capturing history in Washington. This is a parade of suffragettes but I can’t quite make out where they are. If you know where this is, or think you recognize the building in the foreground or background, add your comments below. UPDATE: Found another great suffrage photo on Shorpy. This one was from February 1913. Related articles Decapitated by ... Read More »
I really enjoy getting emails from GoDCers and reading the great personal connections they have to local history. Below is an email I received last week along with an article worthy of a “From the Crazy Vault” post. Ghosts, Since I have no photo of Mr. Luckett, I have attached a photo of A.E. Beitzell. He was Albert Ernest, a ... Read More »
These high-resolution photos continue to amaze me with their details. This one is from 1915, showing some activity on 9th St. NW, near downtown. The block on the left is currently occupied by the FBI building. Click the image for greater detail and look carefully at all the stores on the left. Part of me wishes Officer Sprinkle would turn ... Read More »
Here’s your afternoon photo. This great shot of Caldwell Hall at Catholic University is pretty amazing. Click on it for the high resolution version and study it a little closer. Thanks to the ever-amazing Shorpy. Related articles D.C. Fire Department Car in 1922 (ghostsofdc.org) The Senate Subway in 1915 (ghostsofdc.org) Old Photo Friday: F St. NW in 1908 (ghostsofdc.org) Afternoon ... Read More »
GoDCer Ronnie tweeted a request for a Woodlawn Cemetery and Ward 7 post this week, so I’m happy to oblige. In fact, I’m going to share a story which dates back to the origins of the cemetery off of Benning Rd. SE. Woodlawn Cemetery traces its roots back to Graceland Cemetery, which was located at the intersection of H St., ... Read More »
We love the Willard Hotel. Who doesn’t? The place is full of amazing history. We posted a view from the top of the hotel last week and this week we’re posting a view of the hotel. We included this in the Calvin Coolidge post a while back, but the detail of this photo deserves a second look. Click on the ... Read More »
Here is a great old photograph of East Potomac Park and Hains Point (which we learned about yesterday). This was taken by an airplane (obviously) from the photo section of Bolling Field. You can clearly see the golf course, the tidal basin, Washington Monument and Fort McNair on the right. If you squint, you can see the tiny White House ... Read More »
I stumbled across a great resource for streetcar photos. Check out the slide show below of some photos I pulled. The map below is the transit map for Washington in 1948. Click on it for a closer look at the routes. Related articles Cool Sunday Photo: Streetcar Passing Washington Monument (ghostsofdc.org) Officials Probe Eckington Streetcar Disaster (ghostsofdc.org) Mr. and Mrs. Walter Johnson ... Read More »
We haven’t done a concert-related post in a while.We have featured the Beatles, Janis Joplin, The Dead, Hendrix and The Doors both at the Hilton, The Beach Boys, U2 in Georgetown, The Police in Adams Morgan, The Bee Gees and Springsteen. It’s time to highlight one of the best bands ever … Pink Floyd The band was in the midst ... Read More »
This is a guest post by John (from The Lion of Anacostia), cross-posted here. For black newspaper boys holding their street corners throughout downtown Washington, on Thursday January 13, 1870 there was a new paper to hawk, a paper uniquely speaking to their emerging place in the country and city, “The New Era.” We forget Frederick Douglass came up in the streets of 1830′s ... Read More »
Following up on our Postal Service theme from earlier today, here’s a great afternoon photo for you to stare at for a bit. It’s a daguerreotype taken by John Plumbe in 1846 featuring the post office at 8th and E St. NW (now the Hotel Monaco). Post this to Facebook for your friends to check out. Thanks again to the ... Read More »
In 1982, the United States Post Office launched a new system dubbed E-COM (Electronic Computer-Originated Mail) as an attempt to adopt the nascent technology of electronic mail. Almost comical by today’s standard, but probably thought of as cutting edge at the time, a company would compose a letter on their internal computer system (certified to be compatible with the USPS ... Read More »
Hains point is named for Peter Conover Hains. That was easy. You would know that if you checked Wikipedia, so I’m not really adding any value with this post. But if you go down there and enjoy the park, you should at least know a little about its namesake. So who was Hains? He was a prominent Major General in ... Read More »
Here’s a great and iconic image for your commute home. I came across this great image at the Capitol Visitor Center’s website (great resource by the way). Below is the description I pulled from the site. This view of the Capitol was a gift to the Marquis de Lafayette to commemorate his speech delivered in the Hall of the House in ... Read More »
If you work on Capitol Hill, you’re going to find this one fascinating. This is the underground subway that many of you take between buildings. Okay, it’s changed a little bit since then, but check it out. Click on it for the high-resolution version and then share this with your Hill friends on Facebook. What’s up with the kid’s white ... Read More »
Ghosts of DC The lost and untold history of Washington