Washington History is the only scholarly publication devoted exclusively to the history of our nation’s capital. First published in 1989, the magazine replaced the Records of the Columbia Historical Society (1897-1989). Washington History is filled with scholarly articles edited for the general reader. It is written and edited by distinguished historians and journalists, offering a rich array of images as well as reviews and short features.
The current and past issues are available for purchase in the DC History Center Store and at area bookstores. The magazine is mailed to members as a benefit of Membership Plus level membership in the DC History Center, and digital access is available via JSTOR to members through our online portal. (Members: see our guide to accessing Washington History).
To advertise in Washington History, download our media kit.
To sample Washington History, please take a look at the essays on the pages linked below.
Washington History in the Classroom
Attention! Washington History is currently accepting submissions for a special issue commemorating the DC Home Rule Act. Click here to learn more and submit your manuscripts or ideas today!
CURRENT ISSUE
Fall 2023 | Volume 35, Number 2
The latest Washington History spotlights DC residents’ demands for respect—fought for and seized. Kathleen James-Chakraborty opens with architect Chloethiel Woodard Smith’s contributions to DC’s mid-century built environment. A trailblazer, she managed the nation’s largest women-led architectural practice for two decades. Uma Fox charts the rise of Lambda Rising, an influential LGBTQ+ bookstore that anchored a burgeoning nationwide movement for queer recognition and respect in Dupont Circle. The issue concludes with Izy Carney’s contextualization of DC’s 1970 sanitation workers’ strike within a broader tapestry of U.S. labor and environmental rights.
Washington HistoryFall 2023 | Volume 35, Number 2
Stories:
Chloethiel Woodard Smith
A Curtain-Free Storefront
“Dirty Work” Pay
Purchase
Current issue:
DC History Center Store
Recent and past issues:
DC History Center Store
Second Story Books
Washington History is also accessible through JSTOR, the online service that preserves the scholarly record.
Submit to Washington History
Are you a historian, journalist, or student writing on Washington, DC history? The editors of Washington History welcome submissions of essays as well as notices of blogs and copies of books to review. Please view the submission guidelines and contact the editor for further information: editor@dchistory.org.
Advertise
Washington History accepts paid advertising, which supports the publication and the programs of the DC History Center. For rates, schedules, specifications and to reserve your space, download our media kit here.
Editorial Staff
- Patrick D. Scallen, Editor
- Kasey M. Sease, Managing Editor
- Cindy Gueli, Review Editor
- John DeFerrari, Photo Editor
- Anne Masters, Graphic Design
Editorial Board
- Chris Myers Asch
- Sally Lichtenstein Berk
- Kenneth R. Bowling
- Mary Beth Corrigan
- William C. diGiacomantonio
- Matthew B. Gilmore
- Michael Harrison
- Mary D. Hewes
- Christopher Klemek
- Richard Longstreth
- George Derek Musgrove
- Joseph P. Reidy
- Malgorzata Rymsza-Pawlowska
- Kim Prothro Williams