1900s

Willard Hotel in 1907

Here’s another lovely old photo showing the Willard Hotel way back in 1907.

Chevy Chase Map From 1907

This lovely old map shows the development in Chevy Chase in 1907. Looking at Connecticut Ave between Northampton and McKinley you’ll see that’s where they planned to put a public school. Today, that’s where the Chevy...

1904 Columbia Heights Real Estate Ad

Check out this great old advertisement from The Evening Star back in 1904. It shows a number of great properties for sale in then-new Columbia Heights, which was booming with development. Source: Library of Congress
Washington, D.C., circa 1918. "Childs Restaurant, 1423 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative.

Horse Dealers Claim Automobiles a Fad

This is a great old article that we dug up in The Washington Post from May 14th, 1900. We see this same ignorance or protectionist tendencies to this day. Look at taxis versus Uber and Lyft, or...
The President's 40-horsepower White Model M steam-powered touring car. March 1909. Photographed on the White House grounds in the early days of the Taft administration. In the back is the State Department, now the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. George Grantham Bain Collection.

U.S. Senate Imposes 50 Percent Tariff on Foreign Cars

No more foreign cars! They’re an abomination and a detriment to our economy … and society at large. Or so said many nearly 110 years ago. No, this wasn’t Trump’s America, it was the land of...
Wright Brothers plane over Ft. Myer in Arlington - 1909

Wright Brothers Fly Over Fort Myer in 1909

We posted another piece about this event a while back. This is a much higher resolution image from the event at Fort Myer. Source: Library of Congress
Lord Fairfax House

Then and Now View of Lord Fairfax House in Alexandria

Here’s a great photo of the Lord Fairfax House at 607 Cameron Street in Alexandria. By the way, Lord Fairfax was the Baron of Cameron, hence the street name. Source: Library of Congress And here’s the...
Washington, D.C., circa 1906. "Senator George P. Wetmore, Rhode Island."

Can You Identify This 1906 Building?

Whoa, how cool is this old colorized photo. You’re looking at a “horseless carriage” back in 1906. The passenger is Senator George P. Wetmore of Rhode Island. Can anyone identify the building in the background? Source:...

Incredible 1904 Photo of the Willard Hotel

This is one of the best photos we’ve uncovered in quite a while. Click on it for more. This is the new Willard Hotel around this year 1904. What a beautiful building, which thankfully still stands....
1903 map of area around today's World Bank

The Area Around the World Bank in 1903

Thanks for the great opportunity to speak at the World Bank today. I gave the room a sneak peek at this map today and am posting it for all others now. Check it out below. Source:...
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