Images of America

The valiant story of the nation's capital facing the challenges of World War II told in over 200 rare, historical images that bring the past to life.

As the country prepared for World War II, the nation's capital took center stage. Washington residents witnessed the local population nearly double in a few short years, as a mostly female work force descended on the city, while its male population was sent off to combat in Europe and the Pacific. Washingtonians planted victory gardens, ran scrap drives, and suffered the effects of severe rationing along with the rest of the nation, while military personnel manned anti aircraft batteries around the city. New government agencies were created and existing ones expanded dramatically-most doubled their workforce and constructed hundreds of temporary facilities on the Mall and throughout the city. Washington also witnessed the construction of the largest office building in the world, the Pentagon, which was completed in just 16 months. Washington, D.C.: The World War II Years captures nearly 200 fascinating images from this era. These archival photographs chronicle the beginning stages of war preparation, little known civic defense organizations, VE and VJ celebratory parades, and the overall spirit of the continually persevering capital city.

In Dupont Circle, author Paul K. Williams documents the growth and development of the historic Dupont Circle neighborhood with over 200 vintage images.

From the vast estates of the mid-1800s to the row houses built at the end of the 19th century, from Charles Lindbergh's balcony address at the Patterson House to the various political rallies staged in the urban neighborhood, Washington, D.C.'s Dupont Circle has for many years been at the center of a rich history. Boasting a fascinating heritage of architectural, cultural, and political activity and diversity, the Dupont Circle neighborhood has played a part in the great story of the capital city and has witnessed many of the people and events that have challenged our national community. Following the area's use as a Civil War encampment, Dupont Circle slowly began to develop a more urban character. At the neighborhood's social zenith in the early 1900s, gracious mansions surrounding the circle hosted lavish parties attended by diplomats, presidents, and wealthy socialites. The photographs in this informative visual history capture the elegant homes that were later replaced by office buildings and the fashionable era that was soon to fade. Rare World War II images of former mansions used as rooming houses bring readersinto the 20th century, along with the early 1960s photographs of gay activists who gathered at the circle and began the modern restoration of the neighborhood.

Dubbed ""America's Game"" by Walt Whitman, baseball has been enjoyed in our nation's capital by young boys playing street stickball and Presidents throwing each season's inaugural pitch.

Just 13 years after Alexander Cartwright codified baseball's rules, the Washington Nationals Baseball Club formed and in 1867 toured the country spreading the ""baseball gospel."" By 1901 the team became one of the first eight major league teams in the newly formed American League. Players such as Walter Johnson, probably the greatest pitcher of all time, and other Senators under the stewardship of owner Clark Griffith successfully led the club in 1924 to what many consider to be the most exciting World Series in baseball history.

Later, the Homestead Grays played at Griffith Stadium and fielded a team featuring legendary Negro League greats such as Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard. The powerhouse Grays, during a ten-year span, won nine Negro League World Championships, a record that may never be equaled in any team sport again.

When the Grays disbanded, the original Senators left for Minnesota in 1960, and the expansion Senators of the 1960s relocated, the city was left without a professional baseball team. While many feared that baseball in D.C. was over, a spirit remained on the diamond and is still felt today as children and adults team up in one way or another to play the national pastime in the nation's capital. Hopes for a new professional team linger, and those remembering baseball's heyday will enjoy this extensive and unusual collection of historic photos that celebrate a time when the crowds roared and Washingtonians believed that the summer game would never end.

Visit the important developments in these Washington DC neighborhoods, the stately homes and notable citizens in this compelling visual record.

From the farm and orchard lands of the mid-1880s to the Civil War encampments, from modest wood frame homes to vast residences of Victorian splendor, the area surrounding the closely located Logan, Scott, and Thomas Circles has for many years been at the center of a rich history. Comprising a diverse architectural and social heritage, these neighborhoods have played a part in the great story of the capital city and have been home to the working man and woman, the wealthy, the middle class, and the politically powerful alike.

Following their use as the site of hangman's gallows for Civil War traitors, all three circles evolved into lush parks surrounded by the elegant, Victorian-era homes that housed nearly all of the nation's elite by the 1890s. Prior to the turn of the twentieth century, these neighborhoods were home to Washington's most influential citizens-pioneers and politicians, generals and industrialists-and, in the 1930s, to well-known leaders of the city's African-American community, such as Mary McLeod Bethune and Bishop Charles M. ""Sweet Daddy"" Grace. Logan Circle survives much as it was today, but many readers will not recognize the early homes, now long gone, that once surrounded Scott and Thomas Circles and have since been replaced by office buildings, hotels, and commercial establishments. Fortunately, a compelling visual record of the development of Logan, Scott, and Thomas Circles remains.