Category Archives: History

All Politics is Local, Downtown, Essential DC, History
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Flashback Special: Nov 4, 2008

Photo courtesy of Yelp.com
Vote for Yelp! Election Night Soiree, courtesy of Yelp.com

As all my friends can attest, I don’t talk politics with anyone, save my wife. (My vote is always a closely guarded secret.) So yesterday was a pretty quiet day for me. And that was actually kinda cool, because I didn’t get caught up in any hype or despair, and pretty much enjoyed just being in DC during a major, national election – which just happened to make history.

What I’m most pleased with is just how awesome the voter turnout was. This, my friends, is what democracy IS. Not who’s “team” won or lost, but the fact that we, as Americans, have the privilege to have a say in who our leaders are to be. And to see such excitement, such passion for the chance to exercise our voice – THAT is what the United States of America is all about.

So take a moment and enjoy a cross-cut of photos taken yesterday by citizens just like you and I, as they shared how they spent their Election Day.

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Downtown, History, Interviews, Special Events, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: “Breaking News”

Courtesy of the Folger Shakespeare Library

A true and exact relation of the late prodigious earthquake & eruption of Mount Ætna. London, 1669

The Folger Shakespeare Library recently opened their newest exhibit Breaking News: Renaissance Journalism and the Birth of the Newspaper on September 25. The exhibit runs through January 31, 2009 and is free to the public. I recently had a delightful Q&A session with Jason Peacey, one of the exhibit’s curators and a Lecturer in History at University College London, and Amy Arden at the Folger here in DC.

Give us an idea what a visitor to the Folger’s latest exhibit should expect.

Breaking News follows the story of the newspaper from England to America. Visitors will see many things that they recognize, from the kinds of topics covered – politics, natural disasters, extreme religious sects, crime – to the actual format of newspapers from this period with headlines, columns, and serialized issues. One thing that may surprise people is how much of a role wartime reporting played in launching the newspaper; during the 1640s civil war raged in England between the supporters of the king (known as Royalists) and the supporters of Oliver Cromwell and Parliament (the Parliamentarians). Both sides produced their own accounts of the conflict and printed newspapers in an attempt to sway public opinion in their favor. It was a ripe time to be a journalist!

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Downtown, History, Penn Quarter, Special Events
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Off the Beaten Path: ISM Happenings

Photo courtesy of Me
Warder_building, courtesy of Me

I get a lot of updates on programs from a certain set of buildings at 8th and F St, NW, mainly because I had the privilege to work there when I first moved to the area. Their programs are top-notch and always interesting; this month’s offerings are no exception. So because secrets seem to abound all over our fair city, here’s your chance to discover some on your own at one of the area’s more clandestine sites.

Oh, come on. Indulge me the super-secret spy stuff. This place is one of the things I love about DC (though I do have my own personal thoughts about their ticket prices), so it’s just natural I share it with all of you.

The rundown after the jump.

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History, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Union Station at 100

Union Station: 1921 (via Shorpy)

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. Via Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space we get a link to Now Arriving Washington: Union Station and Life in the Nation’s Capital, an extensive dissertation in progress, with a wonderfully voluminous history section.

So be there. Bring cameras.

Downtown, History, Media, Penn Quarter, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Why Spy?

Photo courtesy of handwrite
this is why i am a spy, courtesy of handwrite

The world today is as volatile a place as we’ve ever known. So how does the U.S. maintain its intelligence assets against the faceless enemy of terrorism and extremists? In his latest book Why Spy?, Frederick P. Hitz, former inspector general of the CIA, draws on his extensive experience to suggest how the U.S. can rise to the challenge. Hear from this insider’s perspective on the safety of America and why it depends on how well—and why—we spy. In this lunchtime conversation, he’ll discuss the pitfalls of the past and share suggestions for successful U.S. intelligence in the future.

Meet and greet the author at the International Spy Museum on Friday, 9/26 from noon – 1 p.m. This “debreifing” session is free and open to the public.

History, The Daily Feed, The District, The Mall
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Flickr Find: Bartholdi Fountain


Bartholdi Fountain
Originally uploaded by NCinDC

It’s just about lunchtime here today, and I’ve taken a jaunt over to Capitol Hill to just stop and stare at the Capitol in awe. I’m also hard at work on the Monumental feature for Friday. This photo by NC in DC of Bartholdi Fountain near the Botanical Gardens is a great inspiration. We’re starting to see the beautiful Fall weather that makes DC something truly special, so get a walk in this afternoon on these beautiful streets. See something unique and special. Better yet, click the photo above to read the historical information about the Bartholdi Fountain.

Essential DC, Featured Photo, History, Life in the Capital, The District
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Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power

The Generals of the Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Convention,
Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C., October 15, 1963,
© 2008 The Richard Avedon Foundation

There really isn’t a just way to describe how incredible and important Richard Avedon’s photographs are, at least in words that haven’t already been written or spoken.  He’s been called “America’s pre-eminent editorial portrait and fashion photographer” which is accurate, but he, like all master photographers, is also a great historian.  Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power, a new exhibit set to open this Saturday at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, has brought together more than 200 of his photos that cover over 50 years of his career and of American history, some of them having never been on exhibit or published.

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Essential DC, History, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The District
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We Remember: September 11, 2001

Photo courtesy of MatthewBradley
courtesy of MatthewBradley

As we stop today to take a moment to remember, some of the staff here at WeLoveDC wanted to share our own thoughts about this tragic day in our history with our readers. Please feel free to share your thoughts in comments – but we do ask that you be respectful. (Comments will be moderated as necessary.)

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Adventures, Essential DC, History, The District, The Mall
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Archival Lovin’

archives_arch

One of my favorite museum sites to visit in DC is the National Archives. Housing the original documents from our country’s founding, the National Archives Experience (as it is officially called) always evokes a sense of awe and history in me and many other visitors. And it’s missed by thousands of tourists every year.

People are surprised to find out that there’s more to the Archives than the popular Rotunda. In fact, the entire mission of the Archives is to serve American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our Government, ensuring that the people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. As such, the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) was designed to safeguard and preserve the most important documents to American history and our heritage as a country. Thus, NARA serves both the public and the federal government through a network of facilities across the U.S. Continue reading →

Alexandria, History, Night Life
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Lights Going Out

Photo courtesy of wharman
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 much better one than that of creepy Williamsburg.)

One of the key places along the King Street corridor is Gadsby’s Tavern, the center of social and political life in Alexandria during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Continue reading →

Essential DC, History, Petworth
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Fort Slocum: Hidden DC Treasure

Fort Slocum in Washington DC - managed by the National Park Service

Fort Slocum in Washington DC - managed by the National Park Service

Here’s an oasis of green you don’t see often in the middle of a city: Fort Slocum Park, where a cool urban forest abuts the row houses of Northwest DC.

Nestled in northern Petworth, you’ll first notice Fort Slocum by the green hill you see on Kansas Avenue NW, the only remnant of the Civil War earthworks that defended Washington DC from Confederate General Jubal A. Early’s attack in June 1864.

While the National Park Service description is brief, the Historic Marker Database tells the full story:

When the Confederates demonstrated against Fort Stevens, to the west, Fort Slocum had the honor of opening the engagement by firing its long range guns. During the battle, some 1,500 employees of the Army Quartermaster office, led by General Montgomery Meigs, assisted the fort’s garrison. 

Juxtaposed to that history is a modern escape for all manner of Washingtonians, as I found on a recent exploration of its central woods..

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Crime & Punishment, History, News, The Daily Feed, The Hill
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Stolen Shakespeare First Folio Recovered

December, 1998: “I shall steal this priceless edition of Shakespeare’s First Folio from a Durham University exhibition! The perfect historical literary crime! Ha ha!”

July, 2008: “I wonder if this First Folio I stole is authentic? I shall bring this to the Folger Shakespeare Library and leave it with them for analysis. No way they can tell if it was the stolen one, and what will they do if they can? Call the FBI who in turn will alert Scotland Yard? I think not! Ha ha!”

(The suspected thief was apprehended by authorities back in the UK — in the town of Washington, of all places — then questioned at Durham and released on bail.)