This is a guest post by Jason (aka, @MidAtlanticBias) At the top of our fair city sits a nearly 100 year old movie theatre. Until this post, I didn’t think I had ever seen its interior. But I have. And, chances are, you have too. Unfortunately, there will not be any art exhibits at this theatre in the coming weeks. Nor will you ... Read More »
It’s Sunday and you’re probably catching up on last week’s GoDC posts. Here’s a really quick one for you, and you’ll enjoy this if you’re a soccer fan. If you’re a casual fan, you may not remember that in 1994 the U.S. hosted the World Cup, and some of the games were held ar our own RFK Stadium. Below is ... Read More »
Who doesn’t like the Beach Boys? This was a pretty big concert on the National Mall for the first July 4th celebration in the 80s. Did any of you attend this show? Related articles The Beach Boys Reunite At The Grammys, Sing “Good Vibrations” (mediaite.com) The Grateful Dead – The 1980 Tapes On The Internet Archive (dlr2008.wordpress.com) Read More »
This is awesome. This was only two years ago, but this is history that we all remember. It is one of those performances that will give you chills. Watch McCartney’s face closely throughout the performance. It’s quite an emotional performance and you can feel the power of the song as it crescendos. Compare this video to the Beatles’ first concert ... Read More »
Here’s a great history of the Watergate. We all know it well and it’s name has become synonymous with scandal. Watch this brief video for a background on the buildings. [gigya src="http://embed.5min.com/517229523/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="560" height="345"] Three things you probably didn’t know about the Watergate: It was one of the first major foreign investments in American real estate. ... Read More »
Here is another great five-minute history of a D.C. landmark. Union Station was, for the first half of the 20th century, the gateway to Washington. It was how most people arrived in the city and it was a magnificent sight for visitors. [gigya src="http://embed.5min.com/517229521/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="560" height="345"] The majestic building displaced the Irish community in Swampoodle, knocking ... Read More »
Dailymotion has a bunch of great five minute history videos of D.C. Here’s one that I think you’ll like about the Kennedy Center. [gigya src="http://embed.5min.com/517229558/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="560" height="345"] Sorry for the late post this morning. I might be slacking a little bit this week because I’m traveling and I didn’t get the chance to finish any posts ... Read More »
This is pretty amusing and a nice short video to share on a Sunday. This is the opening of Ronald Reagan’s first State of the Union address to Congress, given on January 26th, 1982. Below is the original speech I found on Wikipedia. Read More »
I’m a dog lover. I’m a huge dog lover and so is my wife (Marley and Me was a difficult movie to watch). When I came across this front page headline in the Washington Times, I was both saddened and moved. This poor dog — her name was Sergeant Helen Kaiser — was both brave and dedicated, supporting our troops ... Read More »
President Eisenhower needed a quick and effective way to travel from Washington to his summer home in Rhode Island. Air Force One was too large for the trip and a motorcade would take too long, causing major traffic jams. Helicopters were relatively new in aviation and the military began conducting tests to see if one would meet the needs of ... Read More »
In honor of Women’s History Month, Cultural Tourism D.C. put up the first of hopefully many Frances “Fannie” Benjamin Johnston posts on Tumblr. She was a prominent 19th century female photographer and Washington native. Frances was born to wealthy parents and raised in the District in the late 19th century. After spending some time studying in Paris, she returned to the city ... Read More »
I came across so many wonderful old photos of the Smithsonian Castle while poking around different archives online. Here’s a sample of some of the best ones from trolling the Internet. Related articles The Smithsonian Castle … Lazy Saturday Afternoon Photo Share (ghostsofdc.org) The Smithsonian Needs Your Help Identifying Lady Scientists (tinywork.wordpress.com) Read More »
I’m reading a very interesting book about Washington published in 1840 titled “A Picture of Washington.” I just got to the part where it starts talking about the taxes in the city … I have to share these with you because they’re a good window into life in Washington in the middle of the 19th century, and more importantly, before ... Read More »
Love it. Hate it. It has some of the most confusing terminology for out-of-towners. Inner loop of what? Outer loop? But there’s only one Beltway. Wait, I’m on 495, but also 95, and that’s 295? That’s not confusing. Super GoDC reader, DrCapsFan (if we make t-shirts, he might get the first) suggested doing a little research into the Capital Beltway. This ... Read More »
The weather has been awesome lately, and frankly, this has been a really easy winter. Well, that doesn’t mean it can’t snow this late in the winter or even in early spring. Early on during World War II, in 1942, Washington was getting ready for spring and the upcoming Cherry Blossom Festival (watch a 1944 video of the festival). Then, ... Read More »
Ghosts of DC The lost and untold history of Washington