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Urban Elephant: 1923

December 5, 1923. Probably Washington, D.C. View full size. 4x5 glass negative, National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress.

December 5, 1923. Probably Washington, D.C. View full size. 4x5 glass negative, National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress.

 

On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5

Pennsylvania & 14th

Kenny D is quite right. The view is on Pennsylvania Av NW looking SE at 14th St NW. The Willard Hotel is behind to the left. The misty building on the right is the Southern RR Headquarters, behind which is the Post Office Tower. Also on the left background is the outline of Raleigh Hotel. The DC Police had a manual traffic device in various location at this intersection thru the 1920s. Circus always provided good promo in DC.

D.C. Elephant

I think this is probably taken in front of the Willard Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue. I believe the shadowy tower above the elephant's trunk is the former Post Office Headquarters (now the Old Post Office Pavilion)

bus stop?

I thought that instead of a "old traffic light" it was a bus stop with an umbrella to people wait below and to protect from the rain :-)

The Stop Sign

That Stop sign looks to be a predecessor of the traffic light - one side says "Stop" and the sign perpendicular to it probably says "Go". Umbrella to protect the traffic cop who operated it from getting wet in the rain. As for the elephant, could the circus be in town? Obviously a publicity photo showing how smart the elephant is or maybe how the trunk is able to grasp things. Wherever it is, it's a pretty major intersection - note the cobblestones surrounding the street car tracks on both streets.

Huh?

What is going on here? Is the elephant operating the interesting old stop sign? Is he on his way to work (if this is DC) at the Republican party headquarters? There has to be more information!

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