I believe this is Hurst Hall sometime between 1918 and 1920. If you went to AU, how does this compare to the building today? The university has a good history section on their own website that you should check out. Related articles American University Campus in 1899 (ghostsofdc.org) Washington Senators Secure Moran of Georgetown (ghostsofdc.org) Email From a GoDCer: Alexander Graham Bell’s ... Read More »
You may recognize this building, because it is still there. After reading an article in the Washington Post from 1908, I have a far different perspective on the building. I was doing a little digging for stories about existing Dupont Circle buildings and I came across a piece in the Washington Times from April 12th, 1908. The building at 2000 ... Read More »
What an incredible shot, frozen in time. Click the image for higher resolution and look at the details of the United Cigar Stores. Co. You can study this photo for a while. It’s pretty fascinating. Above the cigar store is a dentist’s office, that of Dr. Johnston. I was able to dig up an advertisement from that same July of ... Read More »
President Taft was a huge advocate for automobiles. So much so, that he the first set of White House limousines, including one that was steam driven. He was given a budget of $12,000 to invest in both automobiles as well as a building to house the new vehicles. The old White House stables had to go. Here’s an article from ... Read More »
This is not a joke. A long time ago, there was a perceived oncoming epidemic of invading sharks, hell-bent on destroying humans and their boats. I found this article in the Washington Post from July 26th, 1911 — by the way, two days earlier, Hiram Bingham had announced the discovery of Machu Pichu. This shark story is fantastic. Alexandria, Va., ... Read More »
I dug this one up in the Library of Congress archives. Look how rural the surrounding area is. Related articles Contribute to the Washington National Monument Society (ghostsofdc.org) Potomac Beach Babes of 1922 (ghostsofdc.org) Old Photo Friday: Women’s Suffrage Parade in 1914 (ghostsofdc.org) Read More »
I don’t know about you, but I’m going to hit up the food trucks at Farragut today. I can’t get enough of that chicken on pita. Yum. Here’s a guy working his cart back in 1928 … the good old days, just before the economy fell off a cliff. See you at the food trucks! Related articles Email From a ... Read More »
What an unbelievably powerful photo that speaks for itself. Below is an article published by the Washington Post on September 25th, 1916, leading up to the convention. A mass meeting will be held tonight at Cosmopolitan Baptist Church, Tenth and N streets northwest, to appoint committees and make other arrangements for the entertainment of delegates and visitors to the fifty-fourth ... Read More »
The slow demise of Brickskeller was sad to witness. The place was full of so many fond memories. I’m sure many of you remember back when you could smoke in bars … that place was pretty nasty, but it had true character. You would spend hours sitting around the table playing a game of order the most obscure beer (and ... Read More »
Here’s a cool advertisement I came across in the Washington Times. This is from Augusts 19th, 1911. Check this out below. Here is the Google Street View of the same set of houses (with a tree in the way of course). Related articles Bass Ale For Christmas Eve 1911 (ghostsofdc.org) I Make Sick Teeth Well (ghostsofdc.org) Think It Over, Mr. ... Read More »
The creator of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn was in our city back in December 1906 to participate in the copyright hearings before Congress. The Washington Post mentioned them in in their “People Met in Hotel Lobbies” section. “I should like to talk to you, but I have just retired and am bound for sleep,” said Samuel L. Clemens, better ... Read More »
Happy Fourth of July everyone! … and happy six-month birthday to Ghosts of DC. Enjoy your day off. Related articles Old Photo Friday: Women’s Suffrage Parade in 1914 (ghostsofdc.org) Afternoon Video: Washington, D.C. in 1931 (ghostsofdc.org) 143 Days In … Time For a Break (ghostsofdc.org) Read More »
By 1854 the Washington Monument was about a third complete when the Washington National Monument Society ran out of funds and had to halt construction. John Carroll Brent called upon Americans to support the effort with a donation of funds and appealed to their patriotism with the upcoming Fourth of July celebrations. The leaflet below was distributed in an attempt ... Read More »
This photo begs further investigation (click on it for high-resolution). This looks like a massive train wreck (obviously), and what continues to amaze me is in those days, people would rapidly gather around a crash site to inspect it. Two large freight trains were barreling down the same track towards each other when collided in a massive explosion of steel ... Read More »
In January 1860, the Tokugawa shogunate sent a delegation to the United States with the primary objective of ratifying the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation (aka, the Harris Treaty). Commodore Matthew Perry (not Chandler) had opened Japan (forcefully) in 1854 and this was the first Japanese diplomatic mission sent to the United States. This historic event is particularly interesting to me because, while ... Read More »
Ghosts of DC The lost and untold history of Washington