Posts Tagged ‘History’
Corcoran in 1921 and Today
Historic photoblog Shorpy recently showed this view of the Corcoran as it was in 1921:
3 people like this post.
Unlike
National Geographic Museum: The Etruscans – An Italian Civilization
‘Nattional Geographic – Etruscans 01 – 06-09-11′courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’
I love history. And for me, the older the history, the more I love it. There’s something that fascinates me about seeing how the first people of a given culture tried to figure out the concept of civilization. And for the first couple of [...]
National Geographic Museum: Race to the End of the Earth
‘National Geographic – Race Preview – 05-24-11 01′
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’
What would you do, what would you go through, to be the first explorers to the South Pole? Would you go through months of trekking through -40F degree cold, on a strict ration of food, constantly freezing and wet, and risking death every day? [...]
Breakin’ the Law: Prohibition in DC
Garret Peck (photos by the author)
Wednesday night I attended a talk on Prohibition in DC by local author Garrett Peck. He’s got a new book on the subject, developed as a result of his research for his first book, along with the knowledge he’s amassed leading the Temperance Tour. Much as it is [...]
Photos: Old Washington in the Winter
Photo courtesy of the DC Public Library
I love Flickr. Here at We Love DC, we all love Flickr. Without your contributions to our pool, the site would be a lot less colorful. But one of my favorite things about Flickr is The Commons, where museums of the world post selections of their historic photography collections. [...]
Historical Facebook Statuses
Historical Facebook Update by Wylo
Although this incredibly entertaining “historical facebook update” is a joke, it definitely once again raises the question, are tweets and Facebook status updates going to one day be considered significant historical artifacts?
Although the Library of Congress is already preparing for this outcome, it remains to be seen whether or not 140 [...]
Union Station, c. 1906
Via Shorpy, here’s an old photo of Union Station when it was new, as seen from the side of the rails. Besides the old steam locomotives, notice anything glaringly different from how this scene looks now, 104 years later?
(See it big.)
1 person likes this post.
Unlike
DC Mythbusting: The Lost Forts of DC
‘Fort Gaines at Tenleytown 1864′
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’
Some of the myths about the city seem a little far-fetched, particularly the more historic ones about the layout of the city. Traffic circles meant to confuse invading armies? No J Street because Pierre L’Enfant held a grudge? Come on. Here’s another one I heard– there’s a system of [...]
Senate Subway, Then and Now
From historical photoblog Shorpy we get this underground gem:
That’s the Senate Subway, c. 1915, just two years after it started operation, part of the whole Capitol Subway System. After the jump, you can see how the Senate Subway still uses open-air cars, though somewhat more modernized.
(Update: Well, boy is my face red; the ‘today’ photo [...]
Feature Photo
‘Boulder Bridge’
courtesy of ‘architeuthis dux’
If you guessed that our photo pool would be filled with snow pictures this week, you were right and deserve a prize. Almost as many pictures as millimeters of snow, and we rounded up some of the best yesterday. That’s not going to stop me choosing another snow picture as our [...]
Mystery Mansion in Dupont: The Heurich House
‘Hidden Bronze Lion’
courtesy of ‘CathyLovesDC’
Tucked away in plain view, the Heurich House is the most intact late-Victorian home in the country. Right in the middle of the action in Dupont Circle – on a corner you have probably walked by at least a dozen times – you are absolutely transported back in time – easily [...]
DC Mythbusting: No J Street Because L’Enfant Held a Grudge
‘DSC_0016.jpg’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
Here at DC Mythbusting we’ve covered a lot of myths, but the one I referenced in the first ever Mythbusting feature is one of the most persistent I’ve ever heard. That myth attempts to explain the lack of a J Street in DC. In all four quadrants of our [...]
DC Mythbusting: The National Mall as Protest Central
‘Iran Protest in DC’
courtesy of ’spiggycat’
Welcome to another DC Mythbusting! This week, we’ll be discussing the National Mall and its place as the country’s ‘front yard’ for protesting and gathering. With such a wide open space, in view of both Congress and the President, clearly the National Mall was created to be a place [...]
Video: Capitol Crowds Wave Goodbye to Sen. Kennedy
Here’s some shaky video of Sen. Edward Kennedy’s hearse and procession leaving the Capitol to go down Constitution Ave. to Arlington Cemetery. Hundreds of people lined the lawn and sidewalk, with Kennedy’s staff and colleagues on the Senate steps. As the hearse left the driveway a wave of cheering and applause swept through the crowd, [...]
More »DC Mythbusting: Built on a Swamp?
‘Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens – Egret Among the Reeds – 7-20-08′
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’
Welcome to another edition of DC Mythbusting. I’m sure you’ve heard that the muggy mosquito-filled summers in DC are due to its location on a swamp. The Chicago Tribune named their DC bureau’s blog “The Swamp” and it is oh-so-clever to call sleazy [...]
Cleaning the Air and Space Museum’s Lunar Lander
Smithsonian Mag’s Around the Mall has a look at the cleanup of the Air and Space Museum’s Apollo Lunar Module #2 in preparation for the upcoming 40th anniversary celebration of the Apollo 11 moon landing:
Like
Unlike
Street Car at Washington Monument, 1938
From Shorpy, the historic photo blog: a DC street car near the Washington Monument in 1938. The view seems to be looking west from 15th St, and could almost be a modern view, aside from the street car, rails, and old-timey automobiles parked on the ramp — right up to the base of the Monument, [...]
More »Monumental: The American Meridian
Longitude is probably one of the most important scientific solutions of the modern era. It was easy to work off a set of common star charts and figure out how far north or south of the equator you were. Take a couple readings at sunrise, midday and sunset, chart a few stars, and [...]
More »Union Station at 100
Today (Sat 4 Oct 2008) marks the 100th anniversary of DC’s Union Station, and also the 20th year since its reopening as a mixed retail and transport hub. Union Station and Amtrak will be celebrating with exhibits, memorabilia, and tours of historic train cars and locomotives.
More from Post’s Get There blog, DCist, and USA Today. [...]
Lights Going Out
Old Town Gazebo, courtesy of wharman
Ever done a nighttime walk through Old Town over in Alexandria?
If you’ve ever been over across the Potomac for dinner some weekend evening, you’re aware of the “period people” who meander along King Street, sharing the city’s history with passersby and giving the place a quaint atmosphere. (At least, a [...]
