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Slush Hour: 1916

Washington, D.C., in a circa 1916 time exposure. "Corner of 7th and F northwest." National Photo Company Collection glass negative, 8x10 inches. View full size.

Washington, D.C., in a circa 1916 time exposure. "Corner of 7th and F northwest." National Photo Company Collection glass negative, 8x10 inches. View full size.

 

On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5

The fleetingness of life

Every time I look at this picture I never fail to be reminded of that famous passage in The Tempest:--

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.

Dirty Snow

I'm deriving a certain amount of comfort in the realization that the dirty, slushy snow pushed to the curb is the same throughout the centuries. It's nice to know that some things never change. I'm also appreciating that handsome shoeshine stand at the corner, too. It was thoughtful of its attendant to stand aside when the photo was taken so that we'd get a clearer look at it. Those cornucopias hanging from the top of the Barrister Building are a nice touch as well.

Oops!

That should serve as a helpful reminder to double check street names.

And thank you for the welcome despite my mistake. I've posted here before but for some reason I never created an account.

Barrister Building

I love the juxtaposition of architectural styles here: Colonial, Second Empire, Victorian and Romanesque. Dave seems to be having quite a fixation with Mansard rooflines this week.


Office Structure Begun

Foundations are Laid for the Barrister Building

Foundations for another nine-story office building for Washington are being laid at 635 F street northwest, and within the next week or two the public will be able to obtain a general idea as to how large the structure will be when it is completed. the building will be called the Barrister building, and will be a modern, fireproof structure, with a 29 foot frontage and depth of 120 feet.

The plans call for two electric elevators and an interior arrangement of offices, single and in suites, of from two to six rooms. The furnishings will be in cherry and mahogany, with all the other appointments in keeping, and such as will constitute this an up-to-date structure in every respect.

the front of this first story will be of marble. a light brick, with terra cotta trimmings, will be used above the marble.

Appleton P. Clark, jr., the architect, has incorporated in them all the features which the modern office building must contain. The structure will be erected by Charles J. Cassidy Company, and A.C. Houghton, of 623 F street northwest, will the the rental agency. The Barrister building will be ready for occupancy in July.

Washington Post, Feb 13, 1910

Barrister Building photographed in October 1970 as part of HABS project (Historical American Building Survey)

High Style on a Narrow Lot

The Barrister Building is packing a lot of Renaissance style grandeur as well as height onto a single narrow lot. If I'm scaling this correctly as I look at it, it appears that the lot is an urban standard width of 25 front feet. Is that the case in Washington? Two of the upper floors also appear to be vacant, with For Rent or For Lease signs, causing me to wonder if this is a construction completion record photo. Is the date of this building known?

[It was built around 1910. - Dave]

Still There

It appears the Barrister Building is still standing, albeit with a set of large bay windows installed on the lower floors. The buildings on the far right also appear largely intact.

[This is looking down Seventh, not F. Welcome to Shorpy! - Dave]


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F and Seventh Today

Went from a White Barber to the Verizon Center..


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Unassailable Supremacy

Horn the Tailor was a bit like the Crazy Eddie of his time: insane deals, high volume, lots of advertisement.

1913_horn_tailor

Police Swords

I find it fascinating that the policeman is carrying what appears to be a sword.

[That's a nightstick. - Dave]

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