Washington, D.C., Then and Now (Then & Now) (Hardcover)

by Alexander D. Mitchell IV (Author) "The earliest known photograph of the Capitol, this 1846 daguerreotype is one of a series taken of Washington subjects by John Plumbe, Jr., regarded by..." (more)
Key Phrases: Pennsylvania Avenue, White House, Library of Congress (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Millions of schoolchildren and visitors make the pilgrimage to our nation's capital each year. Built on reclaimed swampland, Washington is now the country's neoclassical seat of government and culture. Now you can witness Washington's development over the last century and a half. Seventy modern color photographs are compared side-by-side with seventy archival photographs from the 1850s to the 1950s. While focusing on famous vistas and familiar landmarks, it also explores well-known neighborhoods. The Then and Now series includes: New York, Washington, Boston, and San Francisco.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Thunder Bay Press (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571451919
• ISBN-13: 978-1571451910
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #263,096 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #52 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Travel > United States > South
  #63 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > Southeast

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Washington DC Then and Now, July 18, 2000

By	Robert S (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

Washington D.C., Then and Now, is full of many fascinating pictures taken in and around the Washington D.C. area. The city is rich in history and full of a number of buildings, monuments and historic areas. Through the years, the city has changed and developed around these landmarks. Washington D.C., Then and Now traces this development and change through pictures.

The premise behind the book is to show the reader each area of the city as it appeared using archival photographs on one page, and comparing it to a recent picture of the same area, taken from approximately the same location, to demonstrate how the area has evolved.

The author has organized the book by street name or area. The earliest known picture of the Capitol, taken in 1846, is the most famous picture (Only seven are known to exist). There is an interesting story about how the rare picture was obtained. You'll have to get the book to find out.

Whether you have traveled to Wahington DC or are just interested in the pictoral history of our nation's capital, the book has a lot to offer. It also makes an excellent coffee table book for your guests to peruse.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting historical look at the nation's capitol, April 1, 2005

By	David Traill (Stuart, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having seen a few other books showing historical photos of different cities' landmarks and their modern looks, I was interested to see what this book would offer. I was not disappointed, fiding the choice of subjects ranging form the famous to the obscure, painting a picture of a Washington long ago.

With many of the more famous buildings in Washington having been built in the last 70 years, there aren't as many older structural pictures to hold up against a view of the current looks. This is often refelcted by what originally stood on the site, and then the facing page shows what is built on the site now. Obviously, there are pictures showing the White House, Capitol, and a few other notable buildings to examine for small changes, but the majority of the book features things the average visitor wouldn't normally notice.

To people who have spent some time in this great city, they would greatly appreciate where the modern looks and everyday scenery has come from. To the average reader, this book would be an interesting coffee table book to entertain the curious.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good, September 30, 2006

By	Washington DC Guy "Robert" (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

This book is pretty good to see a historical comparison of Washington DC "then" vs. "now." The most disappointing aspect here is that a lot of the current pictures seem to have been taken on the same overcast late fall/early winter day. Washington DC is one of the most beautiful cities in the world but a lot of the current pictures don't capture that. The historical pictures and overall comparisons are pretty good though and I would have rated this a "5" if they had done a better job capturing the city's beauty. A solid "4" none the less.