Stuff like this is always great to come across. Below is the Washington Directory from 1822 by Judah Delano, which can be found here. Below is the page that's...
GoDCers Love Maps / 07.05.2013
Carte Géographique, Statistique et Historique du District de Colombie
Here is a very unique map of Washington, D.C. from 1825. This is (obviously) a French map and it comes from an incredible map collection we stumbled upon, run by David Rumsey. Carte...
Why Is It Named...? / 22.10.2012
Why Is It Named Bloomingdale?
It has been a really long time since we did a "Why is it Named...
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.
Notable People & Places / 23.03.2012
The Smithsonian’s English Birth
Some of you may not be aware of this, but an Englishman, who had never set foot in America, provided the financial backing for the nation’s greatest museum: The Smithsonian Institution.
James Smithson was a wealthy man from across the Atlantic and on June 27th, 1829, he died while visiting Genoa, Italy. He was a man of science, being a mineralogist and chemist, and a great admirer of the young country in North America.
Thus, began the auspicious and completely unplanned birth of the Smithsonian Institution.
Below are excerpts from his living will, disposing of his estate.
If you're a serious D.C. history nerd, you'll find this just as fascinating as I do. It was produced by UMBC's Imaging Research Center (IRC) about a year ago. The voiceover is a little dry, but follow along and watch the whole thing. It's very interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC1snu3J8wo