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Washington Sleeps Here: 1922

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "New Jersey Avenue S.E. from B Street." Lodgings in this view from the House Office Building include the Potomac, Congress Hall and President hotels (sign at left), as well as the George Washington Inn. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "New Jersey Avenue S.E. from B Street." Lodgings in this view from the House Office Building include the Potomac, Congress Hall and President hotels (sign at left), as well as the George Washington Inn. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

 

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Something's Wrong

It's actually several years past 1922.

The District of Columbia license plates seen on the cars indicate that this photo was actually taken in 1925. The format of the 1925 D.C. plate, with "Dist. Col. 1925" between the bolt slots is a one year only feature.

Confirming the date is the presence of a late 1924 or 1925 model Pierce Arrow Model 80 (12th car from the right).

Other cars at the beginning of the row:
1920-1921 Studebaker Big 6 (Model EG)
1922 Star (made by Durant Motors)
1914 - 1916 Franklin Series 8 (note electric lights)
1925 Cleveland Six Model 43
1920 - 1922 Oldsmobile Model 46
Ford Model T

Note how few cars have front wheel brakes.

The House Side

The hotels are on the present site of the Longworth House Office Building. The Cannon Building, from which the photo was taken, was built about 1908. B Street is now Independence Avenue; the photo looks toward C Street SE. South Capitol Street, which divides the quadrants, is a block west (right) between Longworth and the Rayburn Building, which was built in the early 1960s.

Car ID's suggestions

Front row R to L: Studebaker; Star; Franklin; Velie; unknown; Ford; Studebaker; Studebaker; Haynes; Ford; Dodge(dirty); Pierce-Arrow; Studebaker; Buick; 2 Ford coupes; hidden car; Ford sedan etc. Back row two cars in front of bus and three directly in back are all Fords including one converted to a truck. Car with plate 10845 with knife edge styling is a Hudson. Others need more study.

Interesting vehicle

Anyone know what kind of car the 3rd car from the right is? Unusual as it has no front radiator.

[It's a circa 1916 Franklin, which used an air-cooled engine. - Dave]

Hotel Potomac

The Hotel Potomac across the street retains at least some of the structure, and sits on the same site, of the old Conrad and McMunn boardinghouse, where Thomas Jefferson lived while he was vice president. Alas, that whole block would be razed in 1929.

There it is

What would a Shorpy photo be like if there were no milk bottles on the window sill?

What a beautiful sidewalk

That would be the envy of any city today.

Even Then --

Looking at the car parked at the end on the bottom right, I see that pulling in straight and taking only one spot was not all that important even in 1922.

Always One in Every Crowd

All the cars parked left to right except one. That owner backed in.

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