Vintage photos of Washington, DC. Ordinary people on stoops, sidewalks, and streetcars. Faces and corners of a city most of us would no longer recognize.
The Silver Sightseer streetcar gave cool, narrated tours of Washington D.C.’s famous landmarks in the late 1950s. Read about this one-of-a-kind, air-conditioned trolley that was specially decorated before it tragically burned down years later when the streetcar system closed.
Step back in time with this captivating 1919 photo of Leoffler’s Liberty Lunch stand in Washington, D.C., where just 20 cents could buy government workers a box lunch filled with surprises. Discover the story of Severine G. Leoffler’s entrepreneurial spirit in the early days of street food.
In June 1966, the Pagans and Avengers shot it out in broad daylight at the Lee Harrison Shopping Center in Arlington. Eleven bikers went to prison.
The Whitelaw Hotel opened on 13th Street NW in 1919 as Washington’s first luxury hotel for Black patrons. Duke Ellington stayed there.
Discover the real-life inspiration for St. Elmo’s Bar from the iconic 1985 movie. Georgetown’s The Tombs played a starring role in shaping this classic spot.
Peoples Drug was DC’s beloved pharmacy chain for over 80 years, from its first store at 824 7th St. NW in 1905 to CVS’s acquisition in 1990.
Discover a unique aerial view of the waterfowl sanctuary near Gravelly Point. Get a birds-eye look of this beautiful landscape with this stunning image from the Library of Congress.
Take a look at a cool old photo of Union Station in Washington, D.C. taken by Thomas O’Halloran on August 14, 1963. Learn more about the historical context of the photo including the Great Train Robbery, James Meredith’s graduation, and the March on Washington.
Harry Crandall’s Metropolitan Theater opened at 9th and E NW in 1918, hosted DC’s first talkie, and was demolished in 1968. Here’s its story.
