When Was the Pentagon Built? The 16-Month Wartime Sprint
Sixteen months from groundbreaking to dedication. Thirteen thousand workers on round-the-clock shifts. Segregated cafeterias FDR personally overruled.
World War II
Gas Rationing in Washington, D.C.: The Long Lines of 1942
In June 1942, Washington D.C. gas stations on upper Wisconsin Avenue ran dry by 8:30 a.m. These Office of War Information photos show how the city lived through wartime gas rationing.
Three Houses for Sale the Day of Pearl Harbor
These three houses were advertised for sale in the Washington Post on December 7th, 1941. Help us identify the 565-acre estate in Warrenton, Virginia.
Washington, DC and the 1942 Wartime Gas Shortage
During World War II, a 1942 gasoline shortage pushed Washington, DC onto streetcars. Albert Freeman’s photo captured the 14th Street control tower.
The Long Gas Lines of Washington, D.C. in 1942
Take a look back at World War II-era Washington, D.C. with these photos of the long gas lines in the city on June 21st, 1942, the day before stricter gasoline rationing went into effect.
A Look Back at Parking Fees in D.C. During World War II
Take a look back in time at parking fees in Washington D.C. during World War II. See the original photo from 1942 and find out just how much different it was back then.
A Look Back: A Photo of a Red Cross Mobile Canteen from World War II, 1942
Take a look back at a photo of a World War II Red Cross mobile canteen, taken in 1942. See the image and learn more from the Library of Congress.
Visibility Zero Unless You Lend Your Binoculars to the Navy: Exploring the Posters of the WPA
Explore the unique posters of the Work Projects Administration (WPA) from 1936 to 1943, including the one below which shows the Navy asking to borrow your binoculars to help prevent attacks at sea. View 907 digitized posters at the Library of Congress!
Life in a Washington Boarding House: Esther Bubley’s 1943 Photos
Photographer Esther Bubley documented life in Washington boarding houses in January 1943, capturing the cramped wartime routines of young workers sharing rooms and kitchens.