BGuthrie Photos: Hist Soc of Wash DC @ Carnegie Library -- Exhibit: DC Hall of History

Hist Soc of Wash DC @ Carnegie Library -- Exhibit: DC Hall of History:

Bruce Guthrie Photos Home Page: [Click here] to go to Bruce Guthrie Photos home page.

Recognize anyone? If you recognize specific folks (or other stuff) and I haven't labeled them, please identify them for the world. Click the little pencil icon

underneath the file name (just above the picture). Spammers need not apply.

Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

Accessing as Spider: The system has identified your IP as being a spider.
IP Address: 3.144.35.148 -- Domain: Amazon Technologies
I love well-behaved spiders! They are, in fact, how most people find my site. Unfortunately, my network has a limited bandwidth and pictures take up bandwidth. Spiders ask for lots and lots of pages and chew up lots and lots of bandwidth which slows things down considerably for regular folk. To counter this, you'll see all the text on the page but the images are being suppressed. Also, some system options like merges are being blocked for you.
Note: Permission is NOT granted for spiders, robots, etc to use the site for AI-generation purposes. I'm sure you're thrilled by your ability to make revenue from my work but there's nothing in that for my human users or for me.
If you are in fact human, please email me at guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can check if your designation was made in error. Given your number of hits, that's unlikely but what the hell.

Help? The Medium (Email) links are for screen viewing and emailing. You'll want bigger sizes for printing. [Click here for additional help]

Share: Facebook Twitter Digg
[1] HSWHH_190516_001.JPG	[2] HSWHH_190516_005.JPG	[3] HSWHH_190516_010.JPG
[4] HSWHH_190516_012.JPG	[5] HSWHH_190516_016.JPG	[6] HSWHH_190516_019.JPG
[7] HSWHH_190516_022.JPG	[8] HSWHH_190516_025.JPG	[9] HSWHH_190516_028.JPG
[10] HSWHH_190516_031.JPG	[11] HSWHH_190516_034.JPG	[12] HSWHH_190516_037.JPG
[13] HSWHH_190516_039.JPG	[14] HSWHH_190516_041.JPG	[15] HSWHH_190516_044.JPG
[16] HSWHH_190516_046.JPG	[17] HSWHH_190516_047.JPG	[18] HSWHH_190516_053.JPG
[19] HSWHH_190516_056.JPG	[20] HSWHH_190516_057.JPG	[21] HSWHH_190516_064.JPG
[22] HSWHH_190516_065.JPG	[23] HSWHH_190516_068.JPG	[24] HSWHH_190516_070.JPG
[25] HSWHH_190516_071.JPG	[26] HSWHH_190516_073.JPG	[27] HSWHH_190516_076.JPG
[28] HSWHH_190516_079.JPG	[29] HSWHH_190516_086.JPG	[30] HSWHH_190516_088.JPG
[31] HSWHH_190516_095.JPG	[32] HSWHH_190516_097.JPG	[33] HSWHH_190516_099.JPG
[34] HSWHH_190516_102.JPG	[35] HSWHH_190516_106.JPG	[36] HSWHH_190516_108.JPG
[37] HSWHH_190516_112.JPG	[38] HSWHH_190516_115.JPG	[39] HSWHH_190516_118.JPG
[40] HSWHH_190516_121.JPG	[41] HSWHH_190516_124.JPG	[42] HSWHH_190516_126.JPG
[43] HSWHH_190516_128.JPG	[44] HSWHH_190516_129.JPG	[45] HSWHH_190516_132.JPG

Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. HSWHH_190516_001.JPG: Welcome to the DC Hall of History The DC Hall of History presents key themes and moments in local history via examples from the Historical Society of Washington DC's signature collections: photographs, paintings, manuscripts, maps, and ephemera. These collections are accessible in the Kiplinger Research Library. After exploring the DC Hall of History, don't miss THE BIG PICTURE, the immersive exhibit on view in the West Gallery. Learn about our resources and programs at the DC History Center Store, filled with unique DC related books and collectibles. Discover more at dchistory.org . Throughout the building you'll see Sm[ART]ify signs. Please download the free Sm[Art]ify global museum app (App Store and Google Play) and then scan an image or artifact to discover more about the history of Mount Vernon Square, the Carnegie Library, and the artisans who designed and built the library.
2. HSWHH_190516_010.JPG: 1600s: Piscataway Indians inhabit future site of DC. 1749: Alexandria established in Virginia 1751: Georgetown established in Maryland 1788: US Constitution gives Congress exclusive jurisdiction over the seat of federal government 1790: Residency Act: President George Washington to choose site for a capital city on the Potomac River. 1791: Peter C. L'Enfant designs a capital city using portions of Maryland and Virginia 1800: US Government arrives from Philadelphia 1802: Congress appoints first DC mayor
3. HSWHH_190516_012.JPG: 1788: US Constitution gives Congress exclusive jurisdiction over the seat of federal government 1790: Residency Act: President George Washington to choose site for a capital city on the Potomac River. 1791: Peter C. L'Enfant designs a capital city using portions of Maryland and Virginia 1800: US Government arrives from Philadelphia 1802: Congress appoints first DC mayor 1812: Congress allows election of city council, which elects mayor 1814: British burn White House and Capitol 1820: Congress allows DC voters to elect mayor
4. HSWHH_190516_016.JPG: 1812: Congress allows election of city council, which elects mayor 1814: British burn White House and Capitol 1820: Congress allows DC voters to elect mayor 1840: Northern Liberties Fire House is first building erected on Mount Vernon Square. 1846: Congress returns the Virginia portion of DC to Virginia. 1848: Cornerstone laid for Washington Monument
5. HSWHH_190516_019.JPG: 1840: Northern Liberties Fire House is first building erected on Mount Vernon Square. 1846: Congress returns the Virginia portion of DC to Virginia. 1848: Cornerstone laid for Washington Monument 1850: Chesapeake & Ohio Canal is completed 1850: Compromise of 1850 ends slave trading in DC, but does not free enslaved people 1855: Funding shortage halts Washington Monument at 55 feet 1862: April 16: Compensated Emancipation Act frees enslaved in DC
6. HSWHH_190516_022.JPG: 1871: Congress establishes territorial government, presidentially appointed governor and council with elected House of Delegates. 1873: Alexander P. Shepherd appointed governor 1878: Congress imposes government by three presidentially appointed commissioners 1888: Washington Monument completed 1888: First electrified streetcars appear in city 1894: Columbia Historical Society founded (now Historical Society of Washington, DC) 1902: McMillan Plan restores L'Enfant vision, creates park system, clears slums 1903: Washington Public (Carnegie) Library on Mt. Vernon Square opens to all regardless of race or color
7. HSWHH_190516_025.JPG: 1894: Columbia Historical Society founded (now Historical Society of Washington, DC) 1902: McMillan Plan restores L'Enfant vision, creates park system, clears slums 1903: Washington Public (Carnegie) Library on Mt. Vernon Square opens to all regardless of race or color 1907: Union Station opens 1910: Automobiles begin to fill streets 1910: Height Act limits building heights by formula based on street dimensions 1915: Carter G. Woodson founds association for the Study of Negro Life and History 1918: Race riots break out in major cities in aftermath of World War I 1919: African Americans defend neighborhoods against white rioters
8. HSWHH_190516_028.JPG: 1915: Carter G. Woodson founds association for the Study of Negro Life and History 1918: Race riots break out in major cities in aftermath of World War I 1919: African Americans defend neighborhoods against white rioters 1938: National Park Service purchases C&O Canal 1938: DC flag made official
9. HSWHH_190516_031.JPG: 1954: Supreme Court rules in Bolling v Sharpe to desegregate DC schools 1964: Thanks to 23rd Amendment, Washingtonians vote in first presidential election since 1800 1965: Marion Barry opens DC chapter of Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee 1967: President Lyndon B. Johnson reorganizes DC government to restore elected government 1968: Civil disturbances rock DC 1973: Home Rule Act restores limited local control 1974: DC adds elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissions 1974: DC residents elect Walter E. Washington mayor
10. HSWHH_190516_034.JPG: 1954: Supreme Court rules in Bolling v Sharpe to desegregate DC schools 1964: Thanks to 23rd Amendment, Washingtonians vote in first presidential election since 1800 1965: Marion Barry opens DC chapter of Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee 1967: President Lyndon B. Johnson reorganizes DC government to restore elected government 1968: Civil disturbances rock DC 1973: Home Rule Act restores limited local control 1974: DC adds elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissions 1974: DC residents elect Walter E. Washington mayor 1976: Metrorail opens Red line, Rhode Island Avenue to Farragut North
11. HSWHH_190516_037.JPG: 2001: Terrorist attack destroys part of Pentagon 2005: DC Emancipation Day (April 16) declared DC holiday 2019: The Historical Society of Washington, DC turns 125 and opens the DC History Center
12. HSWHH_190516_039.JPG: The DC History Center promotes a sense of identity, place, and pride in Washington, DC.
13. HSWHH_190516_041.JPG: From Streetcars to Metro When relatively nimble automobiles arrived in the early 1900s, they conflicted with inflexible streetcars. Eventually buses replaced streetcars, and then the subway arrived. In addition to a wealth of published maps documenting these systems, the Kiplinger Research Library is home to unique documents -- especially photographs -- that were made by individuals fascinated by transportation.
14. HSWHH_190516_046.JPG: A Remarkable Career William H. "Pop" Saunders (1921-1993) was one of six Metrobus drivers selected to become supervisors of Metro train drivers in 1974. But his 32-year career had begun in 1946 when Capital Transit hired him as a laborer, the only job at the company then open to African Americans. In 1955, the transit system bowed to political pressure and began to employ African Americans as drivers. A year later, Saunders was driving a streetcar. When streetcars were replaced by buses in 1962, he made the transition as well. His record earned him a place in the first group trained to supervise Metro train operators in 1974, and he took the throttle for the first ceremonial VIP ride a year later. Saunders retired in 1978.
15. HSWHH_190516_047.JPG: From Here to There The key to a city's growth, both physically and economically, is transportation. Washington has not always been on the cutting edge of transportation as goods and people navigated the city, yet eventually a series of innovations made modern life possible. The first was the city canal, dug to bring materials by water to construction sites in the new city. Next came the horse-drawn street railroad, with tracks laid through the muddy streets. Eventually cablecars and then electric motors took over, conquering the steep hills that had limited settlement to downtown DC. Commuting by streetcar became an option, and the strong, government-based economy created a middle class with an appetite for homes of their own.
16. HSWHH_190516_057.JPG: Foodstuffs Aside from being the most essential of local businesses, the making and distribution of foodstuffs added to Washington's character. In the 1800s workers bought oysters for lunch from street vendors. Because part-time legislators tended to live in boarding houses, taverns and restaurants thrived. Most operated on a racially segregated basis. The city built large markets to serve neighborhoods, and as the 20th century began, corner stones brought convenience to home cooks.
17. HSWHH_190516_068.JPG: Feeding the City To know Washington's eateries -- soup kitchens to power lunch spots -- is to know local culture. The Historical Society's collections go inside these enterprises and reveal how world events and local conditions influenced them. During the Great Depression, for example, the Dee Street Cafeteria fed the homeless. During World War II ingredients suddenly were rationed, leading the Evening Star newspaper to publish a book of substitutions. Eateries advertised with postcards, including "Thompson's Cafeteria," otherwise known as the Thompson's Restaurant that became the focus of legal efforts to desegregate businesses. And, at the top of the heap, the legendary Duke Ziebart (1911-1997) hosted politicians, lobbyists, athletes, and journalists who soaked up each others' company (and two-martini lunches).
18. HSWHH_190516_076.JPG: Foodstuffs Aside from being the most essential of local businesses, the making and distribution of foodstuffs added to Washington's character. In the 1800s, workers bought oysters for lunch from street vendors. Because part-time legislators tended to live in boarding houses, taverns and restaurants thrived. Most operated on a racially segregated basis. The city built large markets to serve neighborhoods, and as the 20th century began, corner stores brought convenience to home cooks.
19. HSWHH_190516_079.JPG: Hometown Business "Alvin, Washington, DC is the place for us." This telegram, sent to Alvin Lothrop by his business partner Walter Woodward in 1879, said it all. Washington, with its steady government employment and well-educated population, became fertile ground for business growth after the Civil War. The partners opened their Boston Dry Goods store on Pennsylvania Avenue and soon flourished as Woodward & Lothrop. They, and many others, profited in the comfortable modern city recently created by the efforts of local business interests. The Historical Society's records of signature Washington businesses provide rich commentary on business growth and charming details of everyday life.
20. HSWHH_190516_088.JPG: Downtown in DC If you really want to know a city, look at how its citizens spent their off-hours. Fortunately for the curious, the details of how Washingtonians have lived, played, and studied and found in the personal scrapbooks, club records, and ephemera (printed materials not meant to last) available for research in the Kiplinger Research Library. Pre-electronic Washingtonians left rich records of shared interests and backgrounds.
21. HSWHH_190516_102.JPG: Forging Connections From the beginnings of the capital city in the early 1800s, some people chose to socialize with their own "set," a group based on shared ethnicity or cultural or business interests. Others were deliberately excluded. These impulses spurred the creation of private clubs, which have more to say about who were were -- and who we are.
22. HSWHH_190516_108.JPG: Simpson Wallace's ceremonial sword indicated his membership in the Knights Templar, a Christian masonic group and the York Right of Freemasonry's highest order. The sword's Latin inscription quotes Constantine the Great, who brought Christianity to Rome.
23. HSWHH_190516_112.JPG: Change is Constant The city we known at this moment is the result of hundreds of decisions made by the US Congress, local government, businesses, institutions, and DC citizens. Congress holds the most power, because DC's laws and budgets are subject to congressional veto. In addition, the city often serves as a laboratory for the experiments of national legislators. Nonetheless Washingtonians have regularly forced the powerful to heed their preferences. The Historical Society of Washington, DC's collections offer plentiful details of these experiments and their outcomes. The materials explain the present that we see every day, and at the same time often document how that present might have turned out very differently.
24. HSWHH_190516_121.JPG: The Congressional Laboratory For many the story of the redevelopment of Washington's aged neighborhoods is a cautionary tale. In the 1930s well-intentioned congressional leaders, planners, and developers surveyed the worn housing of the nation's cities and deemed much of it not worth saving. Congress passed the Redevelopment Act of 1945 and opened the doors to razing and replacing old neighborhoods. DC became a test ground for an expansive urban renewal, where policies and tactics destined for other cities were tried first. The old Southwest and parts of Northwest DC, populated by lower-income families, proved easy to uproot. Despite the promises of private developers and government agencies, the bulldozing and remaking of the entire neighborhood meant not only the loss of thousands of buildings, but also the permanent dispersal of thousands of people.
25. HSWHH_190516_126.JPG: Bearing Witness These documents introduce a collection created by real estate appraiser Plater Tayloe Gedney (1919-2000) while surveying Southwest properties destined for demolition. His appraisals would guide compensation offers from the Redevelopment Land Agency. After urban renewal legislation passed in 1945, Southwesters fought its eminent domain powers all the way to the Supreme Court. They lost in 1954, freeing the RLA to take their properties for "higher, better uses." The hundreds of photographs and appraisals, donated to the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. in 2014, offer important records of some of the 4,800 properties demolished and 6,000 families dislocated during the urban renewal of Southwest.
Bigger photos? To save server space, the full-sized versions of these images have either not been loaded to the server or have been removed from the server. (Only some pages are loaded with full-sized images and those usually get removed after three months.) I still have them though. If you want me to email them to you, please send an email to guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can email them to you, or, depending on the number of images, just repost the page again will the full-sized images.
Connection Not Secure messages? Those warnings you get from your browser about this site not having secure connections worry some people. This means this site does not have SSL installed (the link is http:, not https:). That's bad if you're entering credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal information. But this site doesn't collect any personal information so SSL is not necessary. Life's good!
Photo Contact: [Email Bruce Guthrie].