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The DC History Center Board of Trustees Welcomes Dania Jolley and Frank Leone
The DC History Center is excited to welcome Dania M. Jolley and Frank Leone to its Board of Trustees. Dania M. Jolley brings a wealth of experience as the Deputy Chief of Staff and Cultural Affairs at Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for Washington, DC. Events DC is tasked with generating economic and …
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(Read More)Meet Our New National History Day Coordinator
Please welcome our new National History Day Coordinator, Dr. Shea Winsett! Shea will serve as the project manager for the DC History Center’s participation in National History Day, ensuring the program is culturally relevant, engaging, and supportive of the needs of DC educators and students. Shea’s anthropological works includes mapping historical African American cemeteries in …
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(Read More)DC’s Row Houses: A Love/Hate Relationship
Alison K. Hoagland is the author of The Row House in Washington, DC: A History. Washington, DC is a row house city. Row houses number more than any other type of housing, they line the streets of our neighborhoods, and they help create the low scale that we appreciate so much. Writing about them …
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(Read More)Presenting the Context for Today Resource LibGuides
The DC History Center’s Context for Today LibGuides offer historical background, patterns, and perspectives that provide context for current events. Many of the Context for Today guides began as conversations between expert historians, activists, and journalists brought together by the DC History Center. These expert voices discuss how current events are being influenced and shaped …
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(Read More)Spotlight: Foggy Bottom Historic District House History Map
Spotlight is an occasional blog series that amplifies humanities projects across the city, created by community organizations and individuals dedicated to bringing DC’s local history to light. The DC History Center is happy to announce that it now hosts the Foggy Bottom Association’s innovative House History Map. The map is the first of its …
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(Read More)Meet Our New Exhibit Curator
Please welcome Dr. Erica Sterling, Curator for Class Action, an exhibit opening at the DC History Center in summer 2025. Class Action will explore how the activism of DC’s Black communities led to better education opportunities for their children. This activism ultimately led to Bolling v Sharpe, the 1954 companion case to Brown v Board …
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(Read More)Would You Be Mine? Could You Be Mine? Won’t You Be My Neighbor(hood researcher)?
We heard loud and clear from our teacher members and participants in our K-12 professional development program, that neighborhood-based resources for elementary students are needed. So we are thrilled to announce the newest addition to the Clarice Smith Neighborhood History program. Thanks to generous donor support, free, downloadable, brand-new lesson plans and activities aligned to …
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(Read More)In Memoriam: Don Alexander Hawkins
Don Alexander Hawkins, architect, city planner, historical cartographer, historic preservationist, trombone player, and decades-long participant in the DC History Center, died on October 5, 2023, at his home in Hillsboro, VA. At his side was his wife Cynthia L. Elliott Hawkins. He was 86. As a respected architect and urban planner since 1969, Mr. Hawkins …
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(Read More)A New Boundary Stones Video Series with Washington Wizards
Starting in 1791, the US government placed 40 stones that delineated the District’s original boundaries, encompassing DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Today people travel from near and far to visit the area’s most popular historic sites, but many are unaware that these modest stones, of which 36 are still in place, are arguably America’s first federal …
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(Read More)Introducing Washington History Magazine’s New Review Editor
Washington History magazine is pleased to announce that Dr. Cindy Gueli has joined the publication as its new Review Editor! Cindy is a historian, author, and historical consultant for TV and film. Her academic teaching and research focuses on U.S. cultural, political, and women’s history with an emphasis on Washington, DC, which was the focus of her …
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(Read More)The DC History Center Board of Trustees Welcomes Gerren Price
The DC History Center is delighted to welcome Gerren Price to its Board of Trustees. With over 15 years of experience directing and supporting large-scale programs and initiatives in the government and non-profit sectors, Price brings a wealth of knowledge and perspective to our community. “I have always had a deep appreciation of the …
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(Read More)Spooky Washington, DC: We Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost
In honor of Spooky Season, we here at the DC History Center are bringing you three spine-chilling, local ghost stories with materials from our archives. Our collections, via the Kiplinger Research Library, are open to researchers by appointment. Who qualifies as a researcher? You do! We have been collecting items and papers since 1894 with …
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(Read More)Call For Submissions: Washington History Magazine
Inspired by the tremendous response to our call for the upcoming fall 2024 Home Rule issue, Washington History seeks submissions for the spring 2024 issue and beyond. Washington History magazine, the semiannual peer-reviewed journal published by the DC History Center, seeks articles on the wide-ranging history of our nation’s capital, including but not limited …
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(Read More)On the Shelf: American Indian Society of Washington, DC Cookbook
This series will serve as an introduction to newly available collections and new stories at the DC History Center. The materials featured here are available for reference upon request. To make an appointment at the Kiplinger Research Library, reach out to library staff via email library@dchistory.org. August is finally behind us as we slip …
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(Read More)Frequently Asked Questions: A New Membership Program
Starting October 1, 2023 the DC History Center will launch a new and improved membership program! The new structure aims to offer a wider range of benefits and levels that speak to the variety of people who engage with our organization’s work, while also accounting for increasing costs and inflation. This means that we are …
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(Read More)Teach the District: 2023 By the Numbers
This July, 17 stellar DC educators were selected to participate in Teach the District, a professional development program that seeks to bring local history to life. While they participated on their own time, they represented: 14 SCHOOLS Capital City Public Charter School; Capitol Hill Montessori; Center City Brightwood; Center City PCS Petworth; Columbia Heights Education …
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(Read More)New Developments in DC’s National History Day Contest
The DC History Center is pleased to announce it will be collaborating with National History Day® (NHD) in presenting the DC History Day program during the 2023-2024 school year. NHD, working with alumna Amy Oliver, will facilitate a virtual contest similar to that presented in spring 2023. At the same time, the DC History Center …
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(Read More)A 1920s Illustrated Scrapbook Preserves the Memories of an Elite Black Family
This blog was adapted from the latest edition of our Washington History magazine series “On the Shelf: Sadgwar Family Papers Scrapbook, 1923, MS 0817,” by Collections Manager Autumn Kalikin. You can read her unabridged article in the spring 2023 issue of Washington History magazine. The DC History Center’s collections house many family papers …
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(Read More)Meet Our New Library Team
Please welcome our new Librarian, Alex Aspiazu, and Library Assistant, Jade Darling! Alex Aspiazu comes to research librarianship through her background in public service at libraries in Virginia and DC. She honed her research skills through her legal training and during her recent internship at the Center for Library Science serving the Government Accountability Office. …
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(Read More)Meet the 2023-2024 Totman Fellows!
At the DC History Center, we aim to provide emerging champions and scholars of DC history not only access to collections, but also opportunities to make connections and build community. The Totman Fellowship, which launched in 2022 thanks to a generous donor, supports scholars undertaking new research in the (intentionally broad) fields of Black Washington …
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(Read More)Welcome Toby Millman
We are pleased to introduce you to our newest trustee, Toby Millman! “As a nearly life-long resident of the Washington area, I have been a student of the DC area history since I was a child… I chose to pursue an undergraduate degree in Urban and Regional Studies and a graduate degree in City …
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(Read More)Meet Our New Community Engagement Manager
Please welcome our new Community Engagement Manager, Mariana Barros-Titus! Mariana joined us in early May 2023 and is the first to hold this newly created position. Prior to this role, she served as the DC History Center’s inaugural Latino/a/x Community Outreach Fellow. She also created a Latino/a/x research guide as an independent study project while …
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(Read More)DC History Center To Lead DC National History Day
This blog was updated on August 18, 2023. Visit this post for more information. The DC History Center is thrilled to announce a major new addition to its K-12 lineup. Starting with the 2024-2025 school year, the DC History Center will serve as the District of Columbia affiliate for the National History Day program. Through …
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(Read More)Greetings from Chris Wolf, Our New Board Chair
Dear Reader, I am so pleased to be writing to you as the newly elected Chair of the DC History Center Board of Trustees. As a fourth generation Washingtonian and someone who is enormously proud of our city, I am honored to lead a board of committed community leaders and to engage with the very …
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(Read More)Announcing “Who Lives Here”: A New DC Housing History Video Series
In the early 20th century, a bustling community known as Black Broadway blossomed within the U Street Corridor. Black artists, educators, innovators, entertainers, business owners, and families flooded the neighborhood that stretched out west to Howard University and east through Sixteenth Street. The mass migration of Black people into the area during a time of …
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(Read More)Announcing “Class Action: The Fight for Black Education in the Nation’s Capital”
From about 1880 to 1940, DC boasted the best public education system for Black children in the nation. Despite overcrowding, constrained resources, and overwhelming systemic racism, the city’s influential African American community advocated for their children’s right to a quality education—and got it. Their activism ultimately led to Bolling v. Sharpe, the 1954 companion case …
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(Read More)DC History Center Shares Tip With Redfin Readers
The DC History Center shared a tip with the Redfin readership about moving to DC: Learn about the history that surrounds you Take the time to learn about the history of your new house and neighborhood. There is so much to uncover about DC beyond its national significance. As you put down roots, you will …
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(Read More)Welcome Emily Eig and Jill Landefeld
We are delighted to introduce you to our new trustees, Emily Eig and Jill Landefeld, who are supporting the organization’s growth in the new year and beyond. Please join us in welcoming them to the DC History Center! Emily Eig is the founder and president of EHT Traceries, a women-owned company incorporated in Maryland …
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(Read More)Walter Reed History Project
In 2011, the Walter Reed Army Medical Center was shuttered after more than a century of operation in Northwest DC. As plans for redevelopment took shape in the decade that followed, community members advocated for the history of the site and surrounding neighborhoods to be documented and shared. They understood that with new development would …
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(Read More)Could You Pass This Fifth Grade Exam From 1885?
Are you smarter than a fifth grader? How about a fifth grader from the 1800s? You can test your knowledge with questions pulled from the Public Schools of Washington Annual Examination, 1885 for fifth grade (MS 0094). This artifact contains questions that were cut and pasted from the 1885 fifth grade annual examination. The tests …
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(Read More)Our Strategic Plan
The beginning of a new year always comes with a sense of possibility and excitement. Not surprisingly, this is true of the DC History Center as well. It can be a time to mark and celebrate organizational change, and this year, a welcome moment to share our strategic plan and our loftiest ambitions with our …
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(Read More)7 Questions with Juan Samperio
With this series, the DC History Center highlights some of our frontline and behind-the-scenes collaborators by asking them 7 Questions. For this next blog, the DC History Center met with McKinley Technology High School librarian Juan Samperio. What brought you to Washington, DC? I’m originally from Mexico City, but I grew up in Las …
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(Read More)Welcome Linda Crichlow White
We are delighted to introduce our newest trustee, Linda Crichlow White! Linda is a native Washingtonian and retired School Librarian and currently serves as president of the James Dent Walker Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. Having had the responsibility of cleaning out the homes of several elder family members and discovering photos, …
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(Read More)Meet Our New Collections Manager
Please welcome our new collections manager, Autumn Kalikin! Autumn brings extensive archival processing and collections care experience to the role, as well as a passion for ethical collecting and cultural resource practice. At the DC History Center, Autumn’s ongoing responsibilities now include the preservation and care of all archival and artifact holdings, processing and documenting …
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(Read More)Meet Our New Development Manager
Please welcome our new development manager, Sajel Swartz! Sajel brings to the DC History Center experience in communications, event planning, project management, and public history. Her primary focus will be creating and executing fundraising campaigns, managing memberships, and supporting grant proposals to support the organization’s work. Sajel’s recent contributions will already be familiar to many …
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(Read More)Historians and Teachers of DC History Form the New University Advisory Group
The DC History Center is proud to announce its University Advisory Group, composed of outstanding academic historians and teachers of DC history across the DMV area and nationwide. We have long nurtured rewarding relationships with historians at local institutions including Derek Musgrove at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Amanda Huron at University of the …
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(Read More)7 Questions With Ann Kessler
An organizational chart of the employees for the DC History Center would not fully capture the trustees, fellows, interns, contractors, advisory groups, and volunteers who generously devote their time to deepening the understanding of DC’s past to connect, empower, and inspire the diverse people, neighborhoods, and institutions of the nation’s capital. With this series, the …
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(Read More)Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the DC History Center
Two years ago this summer, we wrote to you: “In our city and across the nation, Americans are standing together against a long history of inequality and violence toward people of color. They are demanding political change and meaningful reform to address the institutional racism and pervasive injustices that African Americans especially face every day.” …
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(Read More)Building A Crash Course in Archives and LGBTQ+ DC Records
The relationship between the military and its LGBTQ+ members—and those who have been deterred from joining or forced from their ranks—is for many a devastating one. Exclusion and persecution based on sexual orientation dates as far back to the founding of the U.S. services. There has been progress in recent decades at the Annapolis, MD-based …
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(Read More)Latino/a/x Outreach Advisory Group Convenes to Address Archival Silences
Historical narratives in and of Washington, DC have long been rooted in the life stories and histories of propertied White men. This is the heritage that has been passed down through generations, particularly in formal “memory-keeping spaces,” like museums and archives. The DC History Center is no different, and the same can be said for …
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(Read More)Washington History’s New Editor
We are all delighted to introduce Patrick D. Scallen, Ph.D. as our new editor of Washington History: Magazine of the DC History Center. Pat succeeds immediate past Editor Bell Julian Clement and, since January, Interim Editor Jane F. Levey. Dr. Patrick Scallen is a historian specializing in U.S. Latinx and Latin American history and the …
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(Read More)Meet Our 2022-2023 Research Fellows
This spring the DC History Center launched its first call for research fellows, with one focused on Black Washington and the other on LGBTQ+ DC (intersectional applications were welcomed). While the decision was a tough one thanks to the incredible slate of applications received, we are thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2022-2023 fellowships, …
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(Read More)Two Years of Context for Today
In the last few years, Washingtonians witnessed distinctly historic moments locally and nationally—moments that will someday be memorialized in history textbooks. Standing out in our collective memories: May 25, 2020, when the world witnessed Minneapolis police officers murder George Floyd. The wave of responding protests colored the summer of 2020, spreading across the country and …
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(Read More)Goodbye and Hello!
This spring the DC History Center said goodbye to its long-time Board Chair Julie Koczela and welcomed Maria Casarella in this key position. After 13 years of dedicated volunteer leadership, Julie reached the end of her final term and stepped down from her formal role. Julie’s gifts of time and talent are almost too numerous …
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(Read More)Meet Our Newest Board Members
As we move into 2022, we are delighted to introduce you to three new trustees who are supporting the organization’s growth in the new year and beyond. Please join us in welcoming them to the DC History Center! Cindy DiBiasi A leading communications consultant for global organizations, Cindy DiBiasi is a co-founder of 3D …
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(Read More)Clarice Smith, 1933-2021
The DC History Center expresses its heartfelt condolences to the family of artist, educator, and philanthropist Clarice Smith. During 2020 the DC History Center was privileged to conduct oral history interviews with Mrs. Smith and David Bruce Smith to capture her story of growing up in Washington. Although she lived in Virginia later in life, …
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(Read More)Progress Report for the Inaugural DC Declaration of Learning
This fall, educators participating in the inaugural DC Declaration of Learning (DC DOL) gathered in the Kiplinger Research Library, one of several touch-points in this year-long teacher training program. The D.C. Declaration of Learning is a DC History Center partnership with the White House Historical Association , DC Public Library, and DC Public Schools. This exciting opportunity expands …
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(Read More)Albert H. Small, 1925-2021
Albert H. Small, real estate developer, collector, and philanthropist died on October 3, 2021, in his Bethesda, Maryland home, less than two weeks before his 96th birthday. Mr. Small’s legacy lives on in the built environment of the city and region, where he developed apartments, condos, single-family houses, and office buildings. He also leaves a …
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(Read More)Do you Love Teaching DC History?
Education is at the heart of our mission. To deliver quality programs and offer useful resources, we often seek out the guidance of educators, especially from our Teacher Advisory Group (TAG). Members of the Teacher Advisory Group advise DC History Center staff as we develop materials and initiatives to support school curricula. TAG volunteers serve …
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(Read More)Guide to Researching Latino/a/x DC Gets A New Look
We now invite you to explore Researching Latino/a/x DC, the online edition of A Guide to Selected Research Materials Relating to the Latino/a/x Communities in Washington, DC! This new, easier-to-navigate version is the DC History Center’s first research guide to include Spanish translation of key text! Published in May 2021, A Guide to Selected Research …
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(Read More)Amplifying DC’s Central American History
Today, there are over 4 million Central Americans in the United States. However, the rich history of these peoples and countries are often not taught in classrooms. To address this, the DC-based non-profit Teaching for Change launched Teach Central America Week, held during National Hispanic Heritage Month, to support educators by providing free resources to …
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(Read More)Our Vision in Focus: Introducing Our Community Council
If you keep an eye on the DC History Center, you already know that exciting changes are underway. In the past year, we updated our name, switched up our programming, and redefined our mission. You hear me say it often, but it is worth repeating here: our restated vision is now to “reach into all …
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(Read More)The Quanders: Stories That Teach the Relevance of the Past
On July 28, the Women’s National Democratic Club’s Educational Foundation and the DC History Center hosted a panel discussion and book-signing with Judge Rohulamin Quander, author of The Quanders: Since 1684, An Enduring African American Legacy. This book details one of the oldest continuously documented African American families in the country from Ghana to the …
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(Read More)Clerihews: Sharing DC History Through Poetry
You are probably familiar with haikus, sonnets, and rhyming couplets, but have you ever heard of a clerihew? July 10 is National Clerihew Day, so we are spotlighting one of our favorite ways to celebrate the Washingtonians in our collection—through poetry! A clerihew is a whimsical four-line biographical verse in AABB rhyming structure. Lighthearted in nature, …
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(Read More)Researching Latino/a/x DC
Last summer, the DC History Center made a series of public collections commitments as we continue to examine how the organization, founded in 1894, has contributed over time to injustices that Black Americans and other people of color face every day. We have found that we need to change how we collect, describe, and provide …
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(Read More)Lou Stovall and the Community Poster
On June 12, 2021, Hemphill Artworks will open its exhibit What’s Going Around: Lou Stovall & The Community Poster, 1967-1976. The works collected for the exhibit were all hand-printed by artist Lou Stovall here in DC. A small selection of posters and the exhibit catalog are available for purchase for a limited time at the …
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(Read More)Announcing the 48th Annual DC History Conference!
In collaboration with the conference planning committee, the DC History Center is excited to announce that the 48th DC History Conference will return March 31 – April 2, 2022 to the newly renovated Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Downtown. The DC History Conference, traditionally held in November, is shifting to the spring to …
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(Read More)Washington History Magazine, Spring 2021
The spring issue of Washington History magazine, coming June 2021, fittingly offers stories of DC’s landscape, often a place of beauty as well as contention and mystery. In celebration of the season, local environmentalist Steve Dryden offers a tour of the wonders of the Piney Branch watershed. Once the largest of Rock Creek’s tributaries, Piney Branch was …
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(Read More)Reflecting On A Historic Year
Exactly a year ago, the DC History Center launched In Real Time, a short-term—or so we thought—collecting initiative to capture the daily impact of the pandemic as Washingtonians experienced it. It was also my first project as a newly minted executive director. Little did we know that 2020 would morph into an extended period of …
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(Read More)Welcome Kyrus Lamont Freeman and Christopher Wolf
Last month, we introduced you to Adé Heyliger and Chinyere Hubbard. This week, we want you to meet two more trustees, Kyrus Lamont Freeman and Christopher Wolf, who also joined us in January. Kyrus Lamont Freeman is a partner and LEED AP attorney in the Washington, DC, office of Holland & Knight. He is involved …
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(Read More)Spotlight on LGBTQ DC
Throughout the month of April, the DC History Center is spotlighting local LGBTQ places and spaces, along with a deeper look at an organization that since 2000 has been actively working to preserve and share the history of DC’s LGBTQ communities. And we’ll be launching the first in a planned series discussing DC history books …
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(Read More)Welcome Adé Heyliger and Chinyere Hubbard
In late January, the DC History Center welcomed four new trustees! This week we are introducing Adé Heyliger and Chinyere Hubbard, who both bring outstanding professional expertise and a deep personal love of Washington and its history to our board. We are honored to have them with us. Adé Heyliger is a partner in Weil, …
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(Read More)Remote Reference Services Resume
On March 13, 2020, we put all services at the Kiplinger Research Library on hold to ensure the safety of our staff and volunteers. Almost one year later, we are excited to announce the resumption of remote reference services starting March 10, 2021. Remote reference services are those that we can provide under continuing pandemic …
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(Read More)Fighting the Good Fight
The proposal for DC Statehood has gained visibility and momentum nationwide over the last year, in large part due to Mayor Bowser’s forceful advocacy. And yes, the Instagram promotion Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness didn’t hurt either. Thanks to a renewed grant from the Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia in FY21, …
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(Read More)Spotlight on Latino DC
Throughout the month of March, the DC History Center will be spotlighting several of the organizations that are actively working to preserve and share local Latina/o/x cultural heritage. We hope you’ll join us in conversation for one or all of the engagements listed below! On Facebook Live, we’re offering a live interview with Manuel …
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(Read More)Latino Archival Resources Guide Kickoff
The DC History Center is pleased to announce a new initiative to compile a resource guide, amplifying access to local archival resources on the Latina/o/x communities of Washington, DC. The new resource guide is being developed in collaboration with local repositories and through contributions by the public. When published and uploaded later this year, it …
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(Read More)Spotlight on Street Photography
The DC History Center is excited to announce that through the month of February, we will be featuring DC-based street photographers who document our local history and environments. And on February 20, we invite you to join us on Zoom for our interactive photography workshop, Documenting DC. On Instagram Live, and through Instagram Takeovers (see …
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(Read More)Introducing Our Newest Trustees
In December, the DC History Center welcomed three new trustees, and we are delighted to introduce them to you! Prof. Alison K. Hoagland is professor emerita at Michigan Technological University, where she taught history and historic preservation for 15 years. Previously, she served as the senior historian at the Historic American Buildings Survey of …
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(Read More)Russell A. Dawson, 1948-2021
It is with great sadness that the DC History Center announces the passing of former trustee and public relations professional Russell A. Dawson. He was 72. Mr. Dawson served on the Board of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. from 2006 to 2016. Despite his long battle with Parkinson’s disease, he continued to advise and …
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(Read More)A Friendly Guest Blog
Over the last few months, we at Friendly Design Co. have had the honor to work with the DC History Center on their rebranding efforts. At a time when it feels like historic things are happening all the time in DC, it seems extra fitting to work with an organization that is devoted to preserving …
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(Read More)Just Down the Street
The mob violence we witnessed at the Capitol this week stunned Americans across the United States. But for Washingtonians, the riots took place, in some cases quite literally, just down the street. At the DC History Center, we’ve been reminded how frequently Washingtonians are eyewitnesses to devastating events that shake the nation. The storming of …
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(Read More)Meet Our New Research Services Librarian
Allow us to introduce our new research services librarian, Kimmi Ramnine! Kimmi succeeds Jessica Richardson Smith, who completed five magnificent years with us before returning to her Indiana home earlier this year. Kiplinger Research Library regulars know that our research services librarian is a critical partner for all looking to access the collections for personal …
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(Read More)Collecting Now
We continue to examine how the Historical Society, founded in 1894, has contributed over time to injustices that African Americans and people of color face every day. We have found that we need to change how we collect, describe, and provide access to the materials we hold in trust for the public. Action: With a …
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(Read More)Top of the Queue
Recently the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. declared that it stands in solidarity with those demanding political change and meaningful reform to address the institutional racism and pervasive injustices that African Americans especially face every day. This is a long-term commitment. As our first step, we have launched public initiatives, including Context for Today. Next …
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(Read More)We stand in solidarity
A message to our community In our city and across the nation, Americans are standing together against a long history of inequality and violence toward people of color. They are demanding political change and meaningful reform to address the institutional racism and pervasive injustices that African Americans especially face every day. The Historical Society of …
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(Read More)COVID-19 Statement from the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
In light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in our region, the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is joining other local cultural institutions in acting to help contain the virus. As a result, we have decided to temporarily close the DC History Center until further notice. The health, safety, and well-being of our community, including our …
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(Read More)Meet Our New Executive Director
The Historical Society is pleased to announce our new Executive Director is Laura Brower Hagood. Many of you will have known her as the National Building Museum’s Vice President for Development. But what you may not know is that she brings to the Historical Society 25 years of experience as a nonprofit executive and cultural …
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(Read More)Historical Society Wins Momentum Award
Each year the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) recognizes individuals and organizations that have contributed to “making Washington, D.C. a world-class destination.” This year the Historical Society, Apple, and EventsDC received the BID’s 2019 Private/Public Partnership Momentum Award for the restoration and revitalization of the Carnegie Library. Eileen Andary, Interim Admin Director and Julie Koczela, …
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(Read More)Volunteer Spotlight: A Chat with John Olinger
At the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., we count on people who volunteer their time, energy and enthusiasm to support our mission. Our volunteers love history. They’re dedicated to our city. And they engage people who visit our physical location, the DC History Center. Gallery guides, like John Olinger, interact with visitors and answer …
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(Read More)The Week in Review: How Far We’ve Come
This week we’ve been reflecting on how far we’ve come in the past few months. In April the restoration of the Carnegie Library was essentially completed, we opened three exhibits and a new retail store in May, the Kiplinger Research Library reopened in August, and now we are bringing back home the rest of our …
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(Read More)Introducing “The Week In Review”
Welcome to the first installment of the Week In Review! I’m Rose, the new Media Intern at the Historical Society of Washington D.C. I’ll be here for the semester as part of the Washington Media Institute through the University of Colorado Boulder’s CU in D.C. program. (Think study abroad-style learning without the abroad part.) Media …
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(Read More)Return of Research Services
Behind-the-Scenes is a series in which we share stories of the work we do hidden from view, and more recently what we accomplished during our year-long hiatus from public service. The Kiplinger Research Library is reopening on August 27th—Support our efforts and help us cross the finish line! Learn more at our Crowdrise page. Research, …
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(Read More)Moving on Up!
Behind-the-Scenes is a series in which we share stories of the work we do hidden from view, and more recently what we accomplished during our year-long hiatus from public service. The Kiplinger Research Library is reopening on August 27th—Support our efforts and help us cross the finish line! Learn more at our Crowdrise page. Relocating to the …
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(Read More)Preservation for Two, Please
Behind-the-Scenes is a series in which we share stories of the work we do hidden from view, and more recently what we accomplished during our year-long hiatus from public service. In this post, we highlight the importance of digitization as preservation. Learn more about our ongoing preservation efforts and how you can help by visiting …
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(Read More)The Books Are Back In Town!
Behind-the-Scenes is a series in which we share stories of the work we do hidden from view, and more recently what we accomplished during our year-long hiatus from public service. We’re kicking off this series with a bit about a project we’ve dubbed The Great Book Inventory of 2018. In August 2017, the Historical …
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(Read More)HITT Contracting, Inc. to Receive History Award
HITT Contracting, Inc. is this year’s Distinction in Corporate Achievement recipient at the Historical Society’s annual Making D.C. History Awards gala. HITT’s signature block-letter logo is easily recognized by the city’s residents. And for good reason. HITT has been responsible for numerous notable, large-scale projects, such as ABC National Headquarters, Sidwell Friends Middle School, and …
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(Read More)Central Union Mission to Receive History Award
Central Union Mission, the 134-year-old supporter of D.C.’s needy, will receive this year’s “Distinction in Social Service” at the Making D.C. History Awards on September 20. The non-profit institution offers an emergency rescue shelter, rehabilitative and job training programs, retreats for underprivileged children, and much more to Washingtonians in need. Founded in 1884, Central Union …
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(Read More)Drew and Jarvis Families to Receive History Award
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is proud to announce that the Drew and Jarvis Families will receive this year’s “Legacy Families of Washington, D.C.” distinction at the Making D.C. History Awards. Accepting this award on behalf of the families is fourth-generation Washingtonian and former City Councilmember Charlene Drew Jarvis. After earning her Ph.D. in …
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(Read More)Akridge to Receive History Award
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is proud to celebrate Akridge, this year’s Distinction in Historic Preservation recipient for the 2018 Annual Making D.C. History Awards. Founded by John “Chip” Akridge in 1974, the commercial real estate company has developed or managed more than 14 million square feet of property in downtown and suburban Washington. …
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(Read More)Washington History Highlights: Malgorzata J. Rymsza-Pawlowska
Historian. Advocate. Curator. Mentor. Writer. Dog Lover. These are just a few adjectives to describe Dr. Malgorzata J. Rymsza-Pawlowska, who contributed “Envisioning Community: The Struggle to Preserve Cleveland Park, 1978-2018” to the latest issue of Washington History. Her essay examines how Cleveland Park residents fought in favor of small businesses and to preserve historic streetscapes …
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(Read More)Emily’s Posts: A City of Hope
“We’re going to build this city… a community of love and brotherhood. The American Indians, Puerto Ricans, Mexican Americans, white poor Americans from the Appalachian area of our country, and black Americans will all live together here in this city of hope.” — Rev. Ralph Abernathy, May 13, 1968 After writing about the Smithsonian Anacostia Community …
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(Read More)Washington History Highlights: Crafting Comics with Matt Dembicki
Last week we sat down with Matt Dembicki who inaugurated a new feature in Washington History with a historical comic. He fearlessly took on the challenge of developing a storyline about Mayor Walter E. Washington’s leadership during the civil disturbances of 1968. Only instead of a word count, he was limited to drawing inside a …
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(Read More)Gillette Receives Visionary Historian Award
On Thursday, May 10, the Historical Society added Howard Gillette to the roster of Visionary Historians, joining Kathryn Schneider Smith, Dr. James M. Goode, Lonnie Bunch III, and Dr. Frank Smith. Historian Howard F. Gillette, Jr., has combined distinguished scholarship with active public service throughout his career. In 2011 when he became an emeritus professor …
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(Read More)Emily’s Posts: A Right to the City
Welcome to my very first installment of Emily’s Posts! Part of my new job as the social media coordinator for the Historical Society is to take really cool field trips (a real hardship, I know) and let our blog readers know what’s going on in the world of D.C. history. I’m writing today to tell …
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(Read More)Desegregating D.C.’s Girl Scouts
“The process of racial inclusion and desegregation in the Girls Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital highlights the messiness, and push and pull, of the fight for equality in the Nation’s Capital.” Miya Carey, “Becoming “a Force for Desegregation,” The Girl Scouts and Civil Rights in the Nation’s Capital.” Founded by Juliette Gordon Low …
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(Read More)Robert H. McNeill (1917-2005)
December 19, 2017, marks the centennial of the birth of photographer Robert H. McNeill. Pictured here in a self-portrait from 1940, McNeill was born in Washington, D.C., in 1917. Known for his crisp photographs of life in Washington, McNeill forged an expansive career. He was lauded for his ability to capture the humanity and vitality of …
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(Read More)National Adoption Day
National Adoption Day is a relatively new holiday celebrated the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It began in 2000 as a day encouraging adoption finalizations and to raise awareness of the children in the foster care system still waiting for permanent homes. To highlight D.C.’s own history with adoption we chose our German Orphan Home of the …
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(Read More)Local Inspiration for National Novel Writing Month – E.D.E.N. Southworth
Writer and Washingtonian E.D.E.N. (Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte) Southworth (1819-1899) epitomized the “self-made” American ideal. After her husband abandoned the family Southworth returned to her D.C. hometown to make a living as a teacher. She began writing what today would be deemed “potboiler” novels to supplement her salary and in 1857 Southworth signed a lucrative …
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(Read More)“Chocolate City” Book Launch at NMAAHC
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. and the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture team up to launch Chocolate City, a comprehensive new history of Washington, D.C., that Kirkus Review calls, “Essential American history, deeply researched and written with verve and passion.” This long-awaited history of D.C., from the early 17th …
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(Read More)Holy Rosary Church
Holy Rosary Church at 595 Third Street NW is a historic anchor for D.C.’s small Italian American community. Ministering to the Italian artisans who came to early 20th-century Washington to work on public building projects, Reverend Nicola de Carlo, an immigrant from Avigliano, Italy, established the church in December 1913 with its first Mass at 83 …
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(Read More)Indigenous People’s Day
This year October 9th marks Indigenous People’s Day. Generally recognized on the second Monday of October, and sharing the day with Columbus Day, Indigenous People’s Day acknowledges and honors the lives, land, and resilience of Native people in North America. A woman, a man, and four children stand in front of a worn white-washed wooden house. Printed from a …
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(Read More)Latinx Heritage Month
September 15th marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, created in August 1988. The date was selected in recognition of the independence days shared by El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Now commonly referred to as Latino History Month – or the gender-neutral Latinx History Month – this celebration of the culture, history, and people of …
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(Read More)Collections on the Move
In preparation for the September 19th, 2017 re-opening of research services at our interim home at the Newseum, here’s a behind-the-scenes look at some of the steps that went into preparing the collection for a temporary move. The relocation would not have been possible without the dedication of a strong corps of volunteers and interns. …
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(Read More)Ruppert Family to Receive History Award
The Ruppert FamilyLegacy Families of Washington, D.C. The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is proud to announce that the Ruppert Family will receive a Making D.C. History Award for Legacy Families of Washington, D.C. at the Making D.C. History Awards on Thursday, September 28, 2017. Over the past five years, the Historical Society has honored twenty-two Washingtonians and D.C.-based …
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(Read More)José Andrés to Receive History Award
José AndrésDistinction in Corporate Achievement The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is proud to announce that José Andrés will receive a Making D.C. History Award for Distinction in Corporate Achievement at the Making D.C. History Awards on Thursday, September 28, 2017. Over the past five years, the Historical Society has honored twenty-two Washingtonians and D.C.-based organizations whose enduring contributions …
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(Read More)Eleanor Holmes Norton to Receive History Award
Eleanor Holmes NortonDistinction in Civic Leadership The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is proud to announce that Eleanor Holmes Norton will receive a Making D.C. History Award for Distinction in Civic Leadership at the Making D.C. History Awards on Thursday, September 28, 2017. Over the past five years, the Historical Society has honored twenty-two Washingtonians and D.C.-based organizations whose enduring contributions …
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(Read More)Di and Lou Stovall to Receive History Award
Di and Lou StovallDistinction in Artistic Achievement The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is proud to announce that Di and Lou Stovall will receive a Making D.C. History Award for Distinction in Artistic Achievement at the Making D.C. History Awards on Thursday, September 28, 2017. Over the past five years, the Historical Society has honored …
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(Read More)Celebrating the Godfather of Go Go Chuck Brown
By Izetta Autumn Mobley | Born August 22, 1936, the “godfather” of Go Go music, Chuck Brown, would have been 81 years old this Tuesday. Brown’s drum-infused, polyrhythmic, call and response anchored music, put D.C.’s unique cultural style on the map. Brown’s first album We the People, was released with The Soul Searchers in 1972. Six years later, …
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(Read More)On the Anniversary of the 19th Amendment – The Legacy of Delta Sigma Theta
The elective franchise is withheld from one half of its citizens…because the word ‘people,’ by an unparalleled exhibition of lexicon graphical acrobatics, has been turned and twisted to mean all who were shrewd and wise enough to have themselves born boys instead of girls, or who took the trouble to be born white instead of …
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(Read More)Douglas Development Corporation to Receive History Award
Douglas Development Corp.Distinction in Historic Preservation The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is proud to announce that Douglas Development will receive a Making D.C. History Award for Distinction in Historic Preservation at the Making D.C. History Awards on Thursday, September 28, 2017. Over the past five years, the Historical Society has honored twenty-two Washingtonians and D.C.-based organizations whose enduring contributions …
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(Read More)Historical Society of Washington, D.C. Will Reopen at the Newseum
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 10, 2017: Today the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. announces it will reopen to the public on September 19, 2017 at its temporary location in the Newseum. Located at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, the Newseum will serve as the home to the Historical Society’s library and collections during the next 12 to …
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(Read More)The Fourth of July in the Nation’s Capital
The Fourth of July – the date that the Second Continental Congress approved the final wording of Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence – is a well known date in our nation’s history.[1] How we began to celebrate and commemorate the fourth of July – and all the dates attached to the colonies declaring independence from Britain …
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(Read More)Exploring the William G. Newton Pencil Sketches
“Mercury at 10th & D.” Sketch by Thomas G. Newton, c.1859-1877. The William G. Newton Pencil Sketches collection, comprising 217 pencil sketches and the occasional watercolor, was donated to the Historical Society in 1950 upon the death of the artist, and preliminarily cataloged in 2003. Thanks to the incredible efforts of Spring 2017 interns Michael …
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(Read More)Welcome, Washingtoniana!
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., is thrilled to welcome staff and collections from the Washingtoniana Division of the DC Public Library to the Kiplinger Research Library! It’s a homecoming of sorts – when the Washingtoniana Division was founded in 1905, DCPL was headquartered here in the historic Carnegie Library and remained until the Martin …
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(Read More)Kiplinger Research Library Resumes Full Services
After a four-month-long hiatus in library services due to unexpected building maintenance requiring the relocation of staff from the Carnegie Library building, we are thrilled to announce that full library services are now available as of the end of January 2017. Requests to research among the extensive collections of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. …
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(Read More)2016 Wrap-up, 2017 Lift-Off!
While library services were on hiatus this past fall and as limited services returned at the beginning of the new year, the small but mighty Historical Society staff were far from idle. Aided by incredible colleagues at partner institutions such as the National Building Museum, the Newseum, The George Washington University Museum – The Textile …
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(Read More)Knight Kiplinger Invites Members to Montevideo on Exclusive Seneca, Maryland Tour
Knight Kiplinger, editor in chief and president of the Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc., invites Historical Society of Washington, D.C. members to his home, Montevideo, in Seneca, Maryland Sunday, October 23. This will be the second year that this exclusive tour has been offered to members. The day will include a tour of Montevideo and notable …
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(Read More)Mayor Anthony Williams to Receive History Award
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is proud to announce that the Mayor Anthony Williams will receive the Making D.C. History Award for Distinction in Civic Leadership at the Making D.C. History Awards on Friday, October 7, 2016. Over the past four years, the Historical Society has honored sixteen Washingtonians and D.C.-based organizations whose enduring …
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(Read More)Washingtonian Magazine to Receive History Award
Washingtonian Magazine Making D.C. History Award for Distinction in Local Media The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is proud to announce that the Washingtonian magazine will receive the Making D.C. History Award for Distinction in Local Media at the Making D.C. History Awards on Friday, October 7, 2016. Over the past four years, the Historical …
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(Read More)Meyer Foundation to Receive History Award
Meyer Foundation Making D.C. History Award for Distinction in Local Philanthropy The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is proud to announce that the Meyer Foundation will receive the Making D.C. History Award for Distinction in Local Philanthropy at the Making D.C. History Awards on Friday, October 7, 2016. Over the past four years, the Historical …
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(Read More)McGuire Family to Receive History Award
McGuire Family Legacy Families of Washington, D.C. The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is proud to announce that the McGuire Family will receive the Legacy Families of Washington, D.C. award at the Making D.C. History Awards on Friday, October 7, 2016. Over the past four years, the Historical Society has honored sixteen Washingtonians and D.C.-based …
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(Read More)The Association of Oldest Inhabitants of D.C. to Receive History Award
The Association of Oldest Inhabitants of D.C. Making D.C. History Award for Distinction in Historic Preservation The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is proud to announce that The Association of Oldest Inhabitants of D.C. (AOI) will receive the Making D.C. History Award for Distinction in Historic Preservation at the Making D.C. History Awards on Friday, …
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(Read More)Hands On Learning at the Historical Society
The beginning of the traditional summer break is a great time to look back at the at the educational programming the Historical Society of Washington, D.C, has provided this past year to elementary, high school and college students. Thanks to incredible support from a private foundation, a 150-year-old civic organization, and individual donors, it has …
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(Read More)Lonnie Bunch Named Visionary Historian 2016
Amid an evening of standing ovations and heartfelt salutes, Lonnie Bunch III, founding director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, received the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.’s Third Annual Visionary Historian Award. The prize was awarded this past Thursday, May 26, 2016, at the Historical Society’s 122nd anniversary celebration when …
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(Read More)Washington History Reveals Struggles for Full Citizenship
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The spring 2016 issue of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.’s semiannual magazine offers readers important background on perennial issues of social justice for the citizens of Washington, D.C. In this issue historians look back at voting, education, transportation, and the effects of the use of eminent domain—issues that fill the media today. …
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(Read More)2016 Silberman Fellowship Announced
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is pleased to announce Kyla Sommers as the recipient of the 2016 Curt C. and Else Silberman Foundation Fellowship. The fellowship provides university students with a stipend to support their historical research on “the fragility of democracy,” especially as it relates to the history of Washington, D.C. Sommers is …
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(Read More)Exhibit of 30 Local Artists Depicts Changing Washington
EXHIBIT OF 30 LOCAL ARTISTS DEPICTS CHANGING WASHINGTON Historical Society’s “For the Record: Changing D.C.” exhibits best paintings and photographs selected by a jury of local museum curators April 14 – July 16, 2016 WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.’s annual juried competition and exhibition, “For the Record: Changing D.C.”, opens April 14, …
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(Read More)New Hours During EXPOSED DC Exhibit
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is proud to host the 10th annual Exposed DC Photography Show, March 11-25, 2016 and offer extended public hours during the exhibition’s run. The 10th annual Exposed DC Photography Show will be on display in the Historical Society’s East Gallery on the second floor of the historic Carnegie Library …
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(Read More)DISTRICT Exhibit Program Schedule
Riots. Unemployment. Demolition. Beginning the evening of January 6, take an unfiltered look at the DISTRICT in the 1960s and 1970s through the extraordinary eye of Washingtonian Chris Earnshaw. On view in the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.’s rotating exhibit space in the Carnegie Library building, through February 26 (Tuesday-Friday, 10am-4pm). The exhibition is complemented by several programs. …
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(Read More)Cindy Janke (1943-2015)
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., mourns the passing of former staffer and long-time volunteer and member Lucinda P. Janke. Cindy died on October 27, 2015, after suffering fatal injuries from a fall. She was 72. Cindy came to the calling of local history relatively late, but when she arrived, she quickly made up for …
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(Read More)Austin H. Kiplinger, 1918-2015
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., lost a champion, visionary board member, and great friend on November 20, 2015. Austin H. Kiplinger, a member, donor, and advocate for more than 50 years, former chair of the board of trustees, chair of the advisory council, and contributor to Washington History magazine, died at age 97. His …
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(Read More)Spandorf Exhibit Program Schedule
Collaboration’s the name of the game: On November 21st, For the Record: The Art of Lily Spandorf—presented at the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum and co-produced and co-curated with the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.—opened its doors. And in addition to the exhibit itself, both partners are pleased to announce a full …
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(Read More)What If? Washington: A Castle-less Capital City
Imagine. What if the Smithsonian Castle had burned all the way to the ground when flames surrounded the building in 1865? One of the most distinctive – and wonderfully odd, really, with its mismatched turrets and cloister-influenced nooks and crannies – and immediately recognizable buildings in all of Washington might have ceased to exist. What if James Smithson’s papers hadn’t …
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(Read More)Personal Archiving: Digital Photography Workshops
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. counts many magnificent personal photograph albums among the collections, documenting the up-close-and-personal of D.C. residents as well as tourists through the years. And while print albums come with their own slew of preservation concerns, in some ways they’re easier to deal with than the mountain of digital files that are currently …
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(Read More)reVISION / reVIEW Exhibit Programming Schedule Launched
On September 23rd the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., opened a new exhibition, reVISION: THINKING BIG and reVIEW: Looking Back. (For images from opening night, check us out on Facebook). And on Tuesday September 29th, exhibit programming kicks off with a look at bygone Washington through the resources of the Kiplinger Research Library! Join the …
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(Read More)Help Needed! Volunteer Opportunities Available
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. has a busy fall ahead and we need volunteers to help us! Through serving as docents for the permanent exhibit, staffing programs, providing reference services, processing collections, and performing administrative activities, the countless hours contributed by members and other volunteers are critical to the continued success of the Historical Society’s mission. …
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(Read More)Full House for House History Workshops
The Kiplinger Research Library hosted nearly sixty new and veteran researchers on August 15 as part of the DC Community Heritage Project House History Day workshops. As with the April workshops, which were held in the Washingtoniana Division at the D.C. Public Library, participants in the August event were introduced to resources for learning about …
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(Read More)Tip of the CAP: The Great Rehousing Project
The Society applied for and was thrilled to receive a 2014 Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) grant. This is Part IV of a series of posts regarding the CAP assessment. (Here are Part I, Part II, and Part III). One of the recommendations made in the report was the rehousing of the Ephemera Collection. We’re so …
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(Read More)A little bit of this, a little bit of THAT
THAT Summer, led by educators Patrick Cronin and Thomas Neville, is a collaborative initiative that integrates the humanities and technology. This summer’s iteration builds on existing archival materials, available at local repositories such as the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., to create an original digital humanities research project about the April 1968, Riots. The participants, …
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(Read More)“Investigating Where We Live” Exhibit Opening
For the third year running, the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. collaborated with the National Building Museum’s Investigating Where We Live (IWWL) program; after five weeks of research and exploration, the program’s culminating product – a year-long exhibit curated, designed and installed by local teens – opens with a reception Friday evening July 24th at …
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(Read More)Chinese Educators Visit Historical Society
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. was pleased to welcome more than twenty English teachers from China earlier this month, through a program hosted by Georgetown University’s Center for Language Education & Development. As part of the enrichment program, the teachers are spending the summer exploring American culture and history through various field trips. The …
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(Read More)Meet Pauline Wayne, President Taft’s Cow
When it comes to White House animals, Presidential pets are the most well-known. Andrew Jackson had Polly, an infamous swearing parrot, James Buchanan had an elephant at the White House (a gift from the King of Siam), and Teddy Roosevelt and his children had a small menagerie of nearly thirty pets during their time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. …
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(Read More)Historical Society Welcomes University Summer Students
School may be almost out for summer – but in the weeks before the semester ended nearly 50 students spent time among the collections here at Historical Society of Washington, D.C. In addition to individual research visits over the last two weeks, class groups included both graduate and undergraduates from the Corcoran School of Arts …
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(Read More)Making D.C. History Awards Season Launched
It’s late spring, a glorious time to be in Washington. But the season we’re really celebrating kicked off on May 27th, with the presentation of the Visionary Historian award to Dr. James M. Goode! Presented by the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., the award is presented to an individual whose lifetime body of work represents …
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(Read More)Raising A Toast to DC
It’s 8 o’clock on a Friday – and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.’s home in the Carnegie Library is buzzing, the evening well on its way to hosting several hundred in-the-know culture-and-beer-seeking revelers. On May 8, in partnership with the Smithsonian Associates, the Historical Society hosted the Smithsonian at 8’s Toast to D.C., a …
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(Read More)On the Record with For the Record
Though we’d certainly be delighted to, rather than wax on about the newest endeavor of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., we’ll let Wendy Reiger of NBC4 tell you all about it. Reiger interviewed first place winner Cindy Vasko just before the April 22 opening reception of “For the Record: Artfully Historic D.C.” The opening …
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(Read More)SEED Students Take on National History Day
It’s National Teacher Appreciation Week! Yesterday and today we’re posting about local teachers who champion the humanities in general and D.C. history specifically by partnering with the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. Teacher Bill Stevens, who has long brought his students to the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., this year required his juniors and seniors …
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(Read More)James Moore Goode Receives Visionary Historian Award
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., is honored to announce that Dr. James Moore Goode is the second recipient of the Visionary Historian Award. The Visionary Historian award is presented to an individual whose lifetime body of work represents the highest achievement in the study of Washington, D.C. history. Dr. Goode is the author of …
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(Read More)Masters in Making History Come Alive
It’s National Teacher Appreciation Week! Today and tomorrow we’ll be posting about local teachers who champion the humanities in general and D.C. history specifically by partnering with the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. Today we’d like to send out a shout-out to Kathy Franz, assistant professor of history and Director of Public History at American …
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(Read More)Graduate Class Explores Role of Cultural Heritage Institutions
Unlike many of the student visits to the Historical Society, the activities designed and collections pulled for a recent visit by graduate students in Catholic University’s “History and Theory of Cultural Heritage Institutions” were not chosen for their subject content, as the students weren’t researching a particular topic, neighborhood or time period. Rather, the orientation …
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(Read More)Two Down, Two to Come: 2015 Community Heritage Project Workshops
Produced in partnership with Humanities DC, Historic Preservation, the D.C. Public Library’s Special Collections, and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., the Community Heritage Project House History workshops provide an introduction to the resources available at local repositories to help discover the stories behind buildings across the city. The two April 2015 workshops were recently …
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(Read More)Cleveland Park Historical Society Visit
It was a meeting of the Societies: Recently members of the Cleveland Park Historical Society (CPHS) spent a morning exploring the library and exhibits of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. While group visits allow for hands-on time with the collections as well as serve as an introduction to the Historical Society as a whole, …
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(Read More)History Mystery: Dating Door Keeper Buckingham
History Mystery: The circa 2004 catalog record for the portrait of John E. Buckingham dated the image to 1865. When the photograph was pulled in 2015 for research regarding the assassination of President Lincoln, it was noted that the back, or verso, included a long note that threw doubt on the original cataloging. Our task …
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(Read More)For the Record Exhibit Opens April 22
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.’s juried competition and exhibition, “For the Record: Artfully Historic D.C.”, opens April 22 in the Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. This exciting new program preserves scenes of the District’s changing cityscape. The 75 winning artworks feature places such as the McMillan Sand Filtration site, historic Anacostia, the Carnegie …
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(Read More)Architecture Week Approaches: April 23-29
The day after the Historical Society launches For the Record: Artfully Historic D.C., continue your exploration of Washington’s architectural history with AIA|DC’s 17th annual Architecture Week! The week’s schedule has many free and low-cost programs that history enthusiasts may enjoy. Tour: Tudor Place Historic House and Garden Thursday, April 23 – 10 a.m. Open House: Ippakutei Teahouse and …
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(Read More)Third Grade Historians Take Historical Society by Storm
Fifty students, thirteen adults, three activities, one special collections library: For a day in March, the Kiplinger Research Library transformed into an expeditionary classroom as Two Rivers Public Charter School students received a hands-on introduction to circa 1850-1900 Washington, D.C. While the Historical Society hosts high school and college classes for orientations and research sessions, …
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(Read More)Collaboration with Ford’s Theatre Launched
Oops. Contrary to the information seen in this broadside, Secretary of State William H. Seward did not die in the April 15, 1865 attack that killed President Abraham Lincoln. In fact, after surviving the brutal stabbing attempt on his life, Seward would go on to serve several more years as Secretary of State; he was …
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(Read More)Collection Snapshot: Doctors Hospital
Title: Doctors Hospital Publicity Records, 1940-1979 (MS 0792) Content: When was the last time you saw a pharmacy register ring up at 35 cents – or heard baby girls described as a “combination of Eve, Salome, and Florence Nightingale,” – or attended an evening function where cigarettes were literally on the menu? Publicity materials …
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(Read More)D.C. History Community Calendar Now Online
The Historical Society has launched a pilot feature on its online calendar. In addition to promoting Historical Society programs and events, the new Community Calendar now features programs that are of interest to the wider D.C. history community. If you would like to have your organization’s event listed, please ensure they adhere to the following guidelines. Events must …
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(Read More)Historical Society Artifacts Now On Exhibit at the Smithsonian
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., is proud to have several pieces from its collection on loan to the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum, including archaeological artifacts, ephemera, a family bible, and more, as part of the Museum’s new exhibit. Opening on Monday February 2, How the Civil War Changed Washington, “focuses on the social and …
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(Read More)So Where Did D.C. Get Its Street Names?
Most of Washington’s streets are named with the well-known alpha-numeric system with diagonal avenues named for states. But what about the street names outside the alphabetic grid? Where did they get their names? The Historical Society answers your question in the Washington City Paper‘s Answer Issue. Learn about D.C.’s street names and other often-asked questions about …
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(Read More)Deadline Approaching to Submit Artworks to For the Record
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.’s juried competition and exhibition, “For the Record: Artfully Historic D.C.”, is accepting submissions of artwork and photography through February 1. This exciting new program will help to capture and preserve scenes of the District’s changing cityscape. Co-sponsors include the DC Preservation League and the Capitol Hill Art League. The …
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(Read More)Hot Topic: Exploring the D.C. Fire & EMS Museum
How long does it take you to get ready to leave the house? Consider this: In the 1800s, it took fire horses less than 30 seconds to get out the door and be on their way to an emergency. All while pulling a steam engine weighing several tons! You can see a beautiful example of …
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(Read More)Upcoming Talk & Tour at the DC Fire & EMS Museum
How’s this for an awesome acronym tongue-twister: This fall the HSW and the AOI met with the FFA in the DCFEMSM in Engine Co.3! Or rather, in the 150th year of the D.C. Fire & EMS Department, the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., and the Association of Oldest Inhabitants of D.C., presented the Friendship …
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(Read More)Front of House: How May We Help?
Front of House is an occasional series where we’ll highlight some of the public services provided by the staff and volunteers of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., as well as post about the eternal quest to fulfill reference queries that have us intrigued, delighted – or, in some cases, stumped. We’re kicking off this …
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(Read More)Backstage: The Down Side of Framing
Backstage is an occasional series covering the behind-the-scenes actions that are part of collections care. We’ll delve into the decisions regarding rehousing collections of all kinds, and explore different methods of collections processing, from manuscripts to panoramic photographs to ephemera. We’ll tackle the tug of war between preservation concerns, the commitment to access for researchers …
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(Read More)Deco the Halls!
Have you seen a movie at the Uptown? Have you – or your kids or grandchildren – taken a ride on the carousel at Glen Echo Park, or wondered about the low-lying, tiered, rounded entrance to the massive office building at 1100 New York Avenue NW? (If you haven’t yet, get thee to all three …
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(Read More)Hand Over Washington History
Have you ever walked by the Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square and wondered about the massive hand sculpture that sits just outside the building? Artist Jim Fauntleroy was paid $1,800 to create the piece in 1968; according to a Washington Post interview conducted the same year, he “started with the fingers and it was kind …
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(Read More)Washington Blade and the Cafriz Foundation Receive Making D.C. History Awards
On November 5, the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. presented the 2014 Making D.C. History Awards to the Washington Blade and the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. The Blade’s inaugural 1969 issue represented a watershed moment in the history of Washington D.C.’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities that it has continued to serve for …
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(Read More)Crowds Surge for HSW-Smithsonian Treasures Program
On November 8th and 9th, the Historical Society and the Smithsonian Institution hosted “Save Our African American Treasures,” a program initiative of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). While the final tally isn’t yet available, estimates indicate that at least five hundred people turned out for the two-day event. The “Save …
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(Read More)Local History Comes Alive During 4-Day Annual Conference
“Making New Washingtons: Historical Consciousness in a Transforming City” is the theme for the 41st Annual Conference on D.C. Historical Studies, the city’s premier annual presentation of new academic and community-based research about the history of our nation’s capital. Hosted by the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. (HSW) in collaboration with the D.C. Public Library …
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(Read More)New HSW Banners Up Around Mt. Vernon Square
Just in time for next week’s Making D.C. History Awards on November 5 (get your tickets!) and the Smithsonian’s Save Our African American Treasures program on November 8 and 9, the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. has put up new banners around its home in the Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. The new blue-and-red …
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(Read More)Backstage: Hats Off to the White Gloves Gang!
Backstage is an occasional series covering the behind-the-scenes actions that are part of collections care. We’ll delve into the decisions regarding rehousing collections of all kinds, and explore different methods of collections processing, from manuscripts to panoramic photographs to ephemera. We’ll tackle the tug of war between preservation concerns, the commitment to access for researchers …
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(Read More)HSW and Partners to Capture D.C.’s Changing Landscape Through Art
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. (HSW) announces the launch of “For the Record: Artfully Historic D.C.”, a new program to capture and preserve scenes of the District’s built environment. Co-sponsors include the DC Preservation League, the Capitol Hill Art League, and the National Building Museum. The initiative seeks submissions of paintings and photography for …
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(Read More)John Suau Profiled by American University
The Historical Society’s Executive Director John Suau is profiled by Caitin Freiss in American University’s online newsletter. John graduated from American’s Arts Management Program in 1997 and returned to D.C. in March after 7 years in Florida. From the article: Suau says it seems fitting that he is back in Washington. “I am happy to …
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(Read More)HSW Explores the History of Dunbar High School at Documentary Screening
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. will present a screening of the documentary film The Dunbar Legacy: Passing the Torch of Excellence on Saturday, October 18 at 1:30 p.m. in the Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. Admission is free. The first public high school for African Americans, Paul Laurence Dunbar Senior High School is …
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(Read More)Recipients of 2014 Making D.C. History Awards Announced
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. (HSW) announced that the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and the Washington Blade newspaper will be the 2014 recipients of the group’s annual Making D.C. History Awards, which honors the people and organizations that have helped shape the nation’s capital. The awards ceremony will be held at the Society’s …
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(Read More)GWU Freshmen Take a Literary Walk through Washington
While intensive programs such as Discover D.C. can provide a crash course in local history to large groups, on a more regular basis the Society’s Research Services Librarian, Laura Barry, works with individual professors to craft library orientations and research sessions that explore topics tied to specific syllabi. This year the Society has welcomed several …
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(Read More)Family History Festival Brings Crowds
A team of two volunteers and two staff members from the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. joined representatives from the D.C. Archives, the Prince George’s County Genealogical Society, and more than a dozen other organizations at the inaugural Maryland State Archives Family History Festival, held on October 4 in Annapolis, Md. More than 500 people …
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(Read More)Annual Member Meeting Presentation Available Online
More than sixty-five members attended the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.’s annual meeting, held at the Carnegie Library on September 27, 2014. Following breakfast and socializing, Society Chair Julie Koczela called the meeting to order. Members approved the election of the following eight members to the Board of Trustees: John Hoskinson, Antoinette Lee, Maria Marable-Bunch, Amanda …
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(Read More)HSW Hosts Discussion on Latino History
On September 27, the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. (HSW) hosted a discussion to foster dialogue and identify various initiatives in the local D.C. community that collect and preserve Latino culture. Moderated by HSW Executive Director John Suau, the “Preserving Latino Heritage in the Nation’s Capital,” panel participants included Anne Garcia, clinical social worker/therapist and …
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(Read More)Return of the D.C. History Minute
The Historical Society produced a series of 60-second features in 2008 titled “D.C. History Minute.” Originally an audio-only presentation, these fantastic resources on the D.C. area’s people and places are currently being updated, enhanced with new images, and being re-released on the Historical Society’s YouTube channel. In the first of these revamped segments, historian C.R. …
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(Read More)HSW Hosts Guild of Professional Tour Guides
On September 9, the Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington, D.C., held their monthly meeting at the Historical Society’s headquarters. Members of the organization, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2015, are licensed tour guides who complete a professional development program consisting of guiding skills; technique training; a written test; and practical assessment, …
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(Read More)Weekend House History Workshops Pack HSW and DCPL
On August 23rd, more than 120 members of the public participated in the 2014 DC Community Heritage Project, a collaborative event arranged by the Humanities Council of Washington, D.C., and staffed by community experts, the folks from the D.C. Public Library’s Special Collections, and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. The event’s goal? To introduce …
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(Read More)Incoming Freshmen ‘Discover D.C.’
On August 20th and 21st the Historical Society hosted nearly 80 incoming freshmen from American University, presenting themes, concepts and resources to help develop the student’s appreciation for and understanding of their new home: Washington, D.C. Discover DC, an orientation program developed by American University, is an “opportunity for new AU students to learn about …
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(Read More)Cirkut Maximus: The Capitol Photo Service Collection Progress Report II
The Capitol Photo Service Collection (SP 114) consists of several thousand oversized photographs of local business, organization, school, political, and other groups in locally significant settings, both indoors and outdoors, from 1957 to 2000. Since this spring, HSW interns have been hard at work towards making this collection accessible for researchers; this is Part II …
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(Read More)HSW Hosts Tour and Workshop for Conference Attendees
On August 12th, the HSW hosted ten representatives from repositories across the country, with the Collections Manager providing a behind-the-scenes tour of the Society’s space in the Carnegie Library building. The visitors, in town for the Society of American Archivists annual conference, received a hands-on introduction to popular collections, such as architectural photographs from the …
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(Read More)Media Mention: Washingtonian Magazine Highlights HSW Resources
“Open House,” a blog initiative of Washingtonian Magazine, recently highlighted local repositories which help homeowners and other researchers uncover the histories of the District’s buildings. The post, “How to Uncover Your Home’s History,” by Maddy Berner, mentions the Society’s house history workshops (next up: August 23rd’s collaboration with the Humanities Council and the D.C. Public …
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(Read More)Cirkut Maximus: The Capitol Photo Service Collection Progress Report I
The Capitol Photo Service Collection (SP 114) consists of several thousand oversize photographs of local business, organization, school, political, and other groups in locally significant settings, both indoors and outdoors, from 1957 to 2000. HSW interns have been hard at work towards making this collection accessible for researchers; this is Part I of a series …
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(Read More)On Exhibit: Capitol Photo Service
The Capitol Photo Service Collection (SP 114) comprises several thousand oversize photographs of local business, organization, school, political, and other groups in locally significant settings, both indoors and outdoors, from 1957 to 2000. Selections from this incredible, massive collection will be on periodically on display. The current exhibit is on view through the end of …
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(Read More)Tip of the CAP: Immediate Action
The Society applied for and was thrilled to receive a 2014 Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) grant. This is Part III of a series of posts regarding the CAP assessment. (Here are Part I and Part II). Here’s a look at a few of the initial recommendations made during the CAP site visit, and the actions …
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(Read More)Tip of the CAP: The Site Visit
The Society applied for and was thrilled to receive a 2014 Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) grant. This is Part II of a series of posts regarding the CAP assessment. (Here’s Part I). Let’s take a general look at how the site visit works. Consultants Michael Henry and Wendy Jessup have a long history of partnering …
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(Read More)Tip of the CAP: The HSW Conservation Assessment
The Society applied for and was thrilled to receive a 2014 Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) grant. This is Part I of a series of posts regarding the CAP assessment. The Society is one of three D.C.-based institutions to receive a 2014 Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) grant. (The Heurich House Museum and the National Museum for …
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(Read More)Land Records, 1795-1798
Working Title: District of Columbia Land Records, 1791-1798 (MS 0788) Content: The Society received a donation of more than thirty original documents primarily relating to the division of properties, 1795-1798, prior to the federal capital’s official move from its temporary Philadelphia home. The donation includes an estimate of lots along the southwest of Massachusetts Avenue, …
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(Read More)Collection Snapshot: Land Records, 1795-1798
Working Title: District of Columbia Land Records, 1791-1798 (MS 0788) Content: The Society received a donation of more than thirty original documents primarily relating to the division of properties, 1795-1798, prior to the federal capital’s official move from its temporary Philadelphia home. The donation includes an estimate of lots along the southwest of Massachusetts Avenue, …
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(Read More)HSW Explores New Collaboration with MapStory
MapStory is an online social cartographic platform developed by the MapStory Foundation since April 2012. Its goal is to empower the community of experts to crowd-source and peer review data within a geospatial and temporal framework. This data can be used to track events across a large area, like the migration of Native Americans …
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(Read More)National Building Museum Staff Explore “What Defines D.C.?”
By Emma Gatewood, Historical Society of Washington, DC Program Volunteer The program staff of Investigating Where We Live visited the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. on June 17th, in preparation for the kick-off of 2014’s program in July. The visit was to prepare staff to assist their teen participants in answering the question, “What defines D.C.?,” …
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(Read More)HSW Welcomes Smithsonian Archivist
On June 16, the HSW Collections Manager gave a behind-the-scenes tour and collections update to Alison L. Oswald, Archivist at the Archives Center of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and her summer interns. Emily Keithley and Elise Fariello, two of the HSW interns working on the Capitol Photo Service Collection (SP 114), also …
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(Read More)Collection Snapshot: A Campaign for the Right to Vote
Working Title: Washington Star Twenty-Third Amendment Campaign Scrapbook, 1959-1961 Content: This 24″x18″ folio traces the newspaper’s 1959-1961 campaign for the passage of the Twenty-Third Amendment. A collage of clippings, predominantly with a Grace Bassett byline, have been laminated on non-newsprint sheets that are glued back-to-back; a few pages contain actual newsprint. Generously interspersed with the …
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(Read More)Getting to Know You: Meeting our Neighbors
Basis DC‘s middle school class, whose charter school is walking distance from the Society on 8th Street, visited June 12th to observe how DC’s neighborhoods have changed over time, using the Kiplinger Collection. While here, we challenged the students to answer all of our DC history trivia questions using only Window to Washington. As you …
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(Read More)Executive Director Attends Cherry Blossom Festival Annual Review Luncheon
On Tuesday, June 10, John Suau attended the annual review luncheon for the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. This was his introduction to the group, facilitated by Barbara Ehrlich who is the secretary on the board for the festival and was in attendance at the May 1st reception in Suau’s honor. Ms. …
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(Read More)HSW and RHP Collaborate at Capital Pride
The Rainbow History Project (RHP) and HSW will host a panel presentation on Saturday, June 7 from 11 am – 1 pm about the history of the Gay Liberation movement in DC in conjunction with the week-long Capital Pride. Events include a Pride Parade on Saturday evening, and a LGBT Festival on Sunday, June 8 …
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(Read More)HSW Welcomes Summer Interns & Volunteers
June brings warm weather to Washington, yes, but also a welcome influx of interns and volunteers to the Historical Society! This week and next, HSW will welcome the 2014 summer cohort, including interns from the University of Maryland’s library science program and American University’s public history program, and volunteers from AU and the University of …
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(Read More)HSW to Receive the White Gloves (Gang) Treatment
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. is pleased to have been selected to receive a day of donated collections care courtesy of The White Gloves Gang of the Mid Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM). MAAM’s annual conference will be held in D.C. October, 22-24, 2014. Members of the White Gloves Gang contribute their considerable expertise …
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(Read More)Collection Snapshot: Barrett Photographs, 1950s-1980s
Working Title: Wm. Edmund Barrett Washington Photograph Collection, 1951-1989 Content: The collection is largely comprised of Washington street scenes captured in approximately 4,000 sharp, 4×5” Kodak negatives, nearly all individually identified by location and date. The collection also includes Barrett’s copy work; 35mm negatives and slides; several hundred black and white prints; and selected client …
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(Read More)Kathy Smith’s Visionary Historian Award Speech now on YouTube
In case you missed our 120th Birthday you can now view Kathy Smith’s Visionary Historian Award Speech on YouTube! Kathy’s review of her work here in Washington with the Historical Society not only provided a fitting celebration of where the Society has come from but also inspiration for the future. You can view the complete …
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(Read More)FY 2014 Visitor Stats Break Last Year’s Record
There are two months left in Fiscal Year 2014 and already visitor statistics for the Society have broken last year’s record! Visitor statistics include individuals exploring Window to Washington, conducting research at the Kiplinger Research Library, or participating in the Society’s educational programming such as library orientations for high school students. When attendance from 2014’s special …
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(Read More)HSW Article in the Pride Guide
Since 2008, the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. has served as the physical repository for the collections of the Rainbow History Project (RHP), an organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, and promoting an active knowledge of the history, arts, and culture relevant to sexually diverse communities in metropolitan Washington, D.C. If you’d like to read more …
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(Read More)Collection Snapshot: Dapper Gents & Property Docs
Working Title: Diver and Copeland family papers, 1867-1927 (MS 0789) Content: The collection includes deeds, mortgages, title searches, plats, property tax assessments and receipts, correspondence, photographs, a will and other papers. The papers relate primarily to Jerome B. Diver (1835-1909) and his wife Lucy H. Diver (1840-1911), regarding properties at 222 C St., SE; 436 …
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(Read More)HSW Begins Migration to New Web Site Host
The staff at HSW has begun to migrate the Society’s website to a new blog version hosted on WordPress. This is a new initiative that will allow for more design flexibility, increased cost savings, and a more timely information delivery. The staff plans to officially launch the new website on September 1, 2014. We will …
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(Read More)HSW Adds Member Benefits with NARM
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. (HSW) is pleased to announce its participation in the North American Reciprocal Museum Program (NARM), a reciprocal museum membership program. As part of a network of more than 700 museums throughout the country, HSW members can take part in shared membership benefits. Purchase or renew your membership at the …
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(Read More)Collections Updates on Their Way!
Spandorf, Wymer, Machen, Woodies, Hechinger’s. The German Orphan Home, the Rainbow History Project, the Heurich family. The Cleveland Park Historical Society, the Palisades Citizens Association, the Anacostia Coordinating Council. Barrett! Proctor! The Rambler! When we talk about the heart of the Historical Society – its collections – these are among the names and organizations you’ll …
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(Read More)HSW Staff Attends Launch of “District of Change” Series at MLK
Last night, Laura Barry attended the launch of the “District of Change” program series at Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Their first theme was “Making D.C. Better for the Arts.” It included a panel discussion with performance artist and director Holly Bass, D.C. musician, composer and Film Director Brendan Canty, and Victoria Reis, Executive and Artistic Director of …
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(Read More)HSW Launches Amazon Retail Storefront
Washington, DC (May 19, 2014) – Today the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. announced it has officially created a seller account on Amazon to assist with the promotion and sales of publications related to the Society. Most significantly, HSW leaders are hoping to sell past copies of Washington History to help streamline the Society’s operations …
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(Read More)HSW Creates Space for Spy Feedback
The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. has created a space in the blogosphere about the new redevelopment project for the Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. The International Spy Museum, EventsDC, and HSW are all partners on a project to create an additional 65,000 square feet of space to house the re-created Spy Museum (now …
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(Read More)