The DC History Center is thrilled to announce the recent availability of the full catalog of the Rambler, Wymer, and Press collections on our digital collections platform. Together, these collections encompass almost ten thousand photographs documenting three distinct eras of Washington, DC’s built environment. Researchers are now able to browse, download, and use these high-resolution images, free of any reproduction fees or wait times.
Circus performers in front of tent at unidentified site, ca. 1900-1921 (J. Harry Shannon “The Rambler” collection, RA 0479)
J. Harry Shannon, better known by his pen name, “The Rambler,” spent his time exploring the District on bicycle or horseback, and seeking stories. Shannon’s rambling articles appeared in The Sunday Star from 1912-1927, accompanied by photographs of the places he saw and the people he met.
The “Rambler” photograph collection (SP 0059) consists of around 1700 glass plate negatives circa 1900-1927 and has been a part of the DC History Center’s collection for 75 years. Thanks to a recent donation from a generous donor, Rambler’s photographs are available in high quality digital images for the first time and will remain accessible for years to come.
Glass plate negatives are fragile and vulnerable to degradation. As the material degrades, emulsion lifts at the corner of the plate, and glass plates can crack, break, and sometimes even crumble. To ensure images of Shannon’s rambles would be preserved, we engaged contractors at Backstage Library Works to digitize the collection.
The Rambler had an eye for unusual sites and unique stories. When viewing the collection in its entirety, certain patterns of personal interest begin to appear. Shannon was drawn to rivers, showed an interest in animals, and rarely missed an opportunity to photograph a beautiful woman. Ivy-covered buildings appear with regularity, along with posed portraits of Black and Native American families.
The DC History Center also houses The Rambler manuscript collection (MS 0946) which includes Shannon’s original typescripts and notes for his column, arranged by topic. This collection is available for research, by appointment.
Alley dwellings behind Lucretia Mott Public School, 1949 (John P. Wymer collection, WY 1080)
The John P. Wymer collection (SP 0052) encompasses approximately 4,000 street scene photographs of Washington, DC taken between 1948-1952. Wymer was an avid amateur photographer who captured the built environment and lived spaces of mid-century Washington during a time of great change.
What Wymer lacked in technical skill and artistic vision, he made up for with the sheer expansiveness of his project and his insistence on capturing the full breadth of the city. Wymer meticulously divided the city into 57 sections and photographed a selection of blocks within each. He photographed churches, schools, public buildings, business districts, monuments, historic sites, as well as buildings that he found “interesting” and “curious.”[i]
Wymer’s DC is filled with small discoveries. A team of young boys play baseball at Takoma Park Playground (WY 0162), two men pilot a rowboat ferry down C&O canal (WY 3898), and vintage cars line the shaded streets. A researcher viewing their own home may notice that the entrance once sported an ugly striped awning, or that the mature elm trees on the block would later become victims of Dutch Elm Disease as it swept through the city.
Wymer’s project resulted in a remarkably complete survey of the District in a very specific timeframe. His photographs are an invaluable resource for visualizing a post-war city on the cusp of “urban renewal.”
Researchers interested in viewing Wymer’s photographs overlayed on a contemporary landscape can explore the Wymer’s DC interactive map.
“Hippie” protesters in the Reflecting Pool during “Honor America Day” show on the Mall, July 4, 1970 (Emil A. Press collection, PR 1817B)
Rounding out the trilogy, the Emil A. Press collection (SP 0034) includes approximately 4,000 35mm color slides, dating from 1959-1979. Like Rambler and Wymer, this collection frequently depicts street scenes, capturing a transitional period in the District.
Press often photographed structures that were either designated for demolition or already being dismantled. A characteristic sepia tint infuses the color palette of Press’s work, with teal skies and warm browns. His compositions are dynamic, capturing a vanishing built environment and critical historic moments. Highlights include images from after the 1968 Uprising, long-gone historic theaters and department stores, local protests, and Resurrection City. Conventional street scenes highlight hand-painted signs, classic neon, and local fashion.
Although the collection was digitized in 2018, the photographs were still only accessible through low-res images on the DC History Center’s online catalog, or by request. Researchers can now download high-res TIFFs through our online collections.
The street photography of Rambler, Wymer, and Press, are a catalog of what has remained, and what has been lost. “At risk” legacy collections, like the Rambler, can be digitized because of renewed interest by individual donors. Ensuring that these materials remain accessible to future generations of researchers is a continuing priority.
For the first time, the complete digitized collections of Rambler, Wymer, and Press are available to enjoy, explore and download in our digital collections.
[i] Wymer, John P. “Washington in Mid-Century,” Album 1, Wymer Photograph Collection, DC History Center, Jan 9, 1949.