Here’s a good one from the Library of Congress archives. It’s a drawing of the proposed new Executive Mansion, to be built on Meridian Hill (where the park is today). It looks quite ostentatious for American tastes and, in my opinion, resembles Il Vittoriano in Piazza Venezia, Rome (look here … thanks Andrea, great photo blog!). The drive for a ... Read More »
Great old photo from the Library of Congress. It doesn’t have an exact date on it, but it says it was created somewhere between 1909 and 1940 and gifted to the Library of Congress in 1947 by Herbert French … Fascinating image. Related articles Rep. Joe Baca: Native American Heritage Month – a Time to Honor the Contributions of Our Nation’s ... Read More »
The description below is cut straight from YouTube. This is a home movie from Lady Bird Johnson during the 1960s. The LBJ Library has an entire YouTube channel dedicated to these, so check them out. They’re also on Twitter and Facebook. The footage is outside and the film is silent. The film starts with Lady Bird Johnson and others posing ... Read More »
I really wanted to start by skewing these posts towards more anonymous D.C. residents, but I keep coming across gold on YouTube like this. I promise to return to more posts on hidden and lost Washington, but you have to watch this. Look how defensive President Nixon is at the end as he folds his arms. Wow. I’m sure many ... Read More »
Mark this down as something you’ll never see today. The President is just walking out of the White House grounds … alone. Let’s be honest, any guy that takes a bullet in his chest and STILL gives a speech can kick anyone’s ass. He casually strolls south onto what appears to be E St. Read More »
Buy this book and then read it (I bought the Kindle version). It is an excellent window into life in Washington City in the days after the fall of Fort Sumter. It chronicles life in the District starting April 14th, 1861. Word had spread to Washington that the Union flag was lowered over Fort Sumter. Lincoln and his cabinet feel ... Read More »
Ghosts of DC The lost and untold history of Washington