Take a Trip Down Memory Lane and See Alexandria in the 1980s
Take a trip down memory lane and see Alexandria, Virginia in the 1980s with this aerial view from the Library of Congress. See if you can recognize parts of the city!
1980s
The 1980s were a tale of two Washingtons. The corridors of power hummed with Reagan-era confidence, while the crack epidemic devastated neighborhoods across the city. Mayor Marion Barry dominated local politics throughout the decade, and the question of what kind of city DC would become hung over every block.
The Washington Monument Seen from the Library of Congress in the Early 1980s
A Library of Congress photograph showing the Washington Monument as it appeared in the early 1980s.
It’s a Damn Shame: The Demolition of D.C. from the 1950s to the 1980s
It’s a sad fact that much of D.C. was demolished from the 1950s through the 1980s. Read the full story to learn more about this damn shame and the major influence of Gilded Age capitalist Frank Munsey.
Vitaly Churkin, Soviet Diplomat, Testifies on the Hill
This was the first time an official of the Soviet Union testified before a House committee, by Vitaly Churkin, in an attempt to be transparent after the Chernobyl nuclear accident.
Mayor Marion Barry’s Proposal to Rename a Portion of Mass. Ave. After Nelson Mandela in 1985
In 1985, Mayor Marion Barry proposed renaming a portion of Massachusetts Avenue in front of the South African Embassy after anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela. Read the interesting story from The Baltimore Sun from July 3rd, 1985.
If Walls Could Talk: Nanny O’Briens
Congratulations to our latest “If Walls Could Talk” poll winner, Nanny O’Briens. We’re going to do a little digging into the history of your building at 3319 Connecticut Ave. NW. The Greek restaurant investor On September 11th, 1952, The Washington Post reported on a funeral mass to be held for Louis Kanakos, who died at the … Read more
Georgetown’s Last Call: DC’s Fight Over the Drinking Age
DC had a split drinking age for years: 18 for beer and wine, 21 for spirits. It made Georgetown a magnet for underage drinkers from Maryland and Virginia. It took a fatal crash on the Capital Beltway in September 1986 to finally change it.
The Strange Story of the White House Secret Service Guard Who Robbed a Bank
Read the strange story of the White House Secret Service guard who robbed a Citizens National Bank branch in Laurel in 1981. We came across the article and the sentencing in The Baltimore Sun. Come read this bizarre story from the 1980s!
Exploring a Metro Map Done with Braille – What Date is This?
Explore a Metro map done with braille and discover its date. This map stops at Silver Spring, so it’s some time before 1990, when Forest Glen was built. Find out more in this blog post.