What was Washington, D.C. like in the 1940s? Take a look at our great posts with stories, people, photos, and history about the District from the forties.
Photo of Thomas Circle in 1943
This is a photo of Thomas Circle in April of 1943. Don’t forget to check out this post on how the circle looked in 1920, and this one which includes a map of the circle in...
Photo of Hyattsville Hardware in 1940
This is a terrific old photo of Hyattsville Hardware taken in June of 1940. The building still stands at 5123 Baltimore Ave. Source: Library of Congress Below is the same building today on Google Street View....
Beautiful Photo of 11th St. Row Houses
GoDCers, check this out. It’s a photo taken in August of 1942 showing two buildings on 11th St. The photo was taken from Ella Watson’s home across the street. She was a government charwoman (a woman...
Lost Children Will Be Taken to the Lion House
Here is an amusing (though I don’t believe intentionally) sign that was posted in the National Zoo. The photo was taken in May of 1943. This reminds me of the crazy post we did a while...
Photo of Scott Circle in 1943
This is a terrific old photo of Scott Circle at night in April of 1943. Check out this great post showing the circle in the 1950s, and this one which is an aerial view of Scott...
Waiting for the Streetcar at 7th and Florida in 1942
Here is a shot of a woman waiting for the streetcar just west of 7th St. on Florida Ave., NW, taken in 1942 The building across the street is still there today. Check out the Google...
Poor Dog Waiting in Line For Gas Rations
I saw this photo and I had to share it. This is a photo from June 21st, 1942. We were in the early days of World War II and in the middle of rationing. This poor pup was...
Parking in D.C. for 35 Cents in 1942
Parking fees in D.C. back in 1942 were a fair bit cheaper than they are today without a doubt. Check out this photo from World War II. Can anyone locate this photo? Source: Shorpy
GoDCer Shares Film Footage of Washington in 1949
Check out this great footage out. This is from 1949, sent in by GoDCer Eric.
Rare Footage of FDR Dedicating the NIH
This is some great old footage of FDR dedicating the NIH back in 1940. Thanks to GoDCer Jeff for sending this in a while ago. It was originally posted on an NIH blog, Circulating Now, and...