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You constantly see Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America, in the news, and it’s portrayed in everything from movies and TV shows to comics and books. However, what you see now is very different from a century ago.
Our team at Bored Panda has collected some of the most intriguing and dynamic vintage photos of Washington, D.C., from the 1920s. It’s a rare glimpse into the city’s history and the fashions and trends of the time. Scroll down to take a peek at the photos, and don’t forget to upvote the ones that left an impression on you.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
"Flapper Goloshes" For The Pup, Peter Pan, Wire-Haired Terrier Pet Of The Personal Secretary To President Coolidge And Mrs. Edward T. Clark, Arrived At The White House, 1928
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#2
Charlie Becker, Midget Trainer With Singer's Midgets, Walked The Smallest Elephant Of His Troupe To Merchants Bank, And Made A Deposit For Keith's Theatre. The Elephant Delivered The Money Satchel Directly To The Receiving Teller, Washington, D.C., 1924
Daniel Atkins 4 months ago
Ahh back in the day when your elephant could make deposits for you. Things were much simpler back then. ;)
The District of Columbia is an incredibly popular tourist destination. According to Axios, more than 27 million people visited Washington, D.C., in 2024.
That’s a whopping 1.25 million tourists more than in 2023, when the previous record was set. The vast majority of tourists (25 million) were domestic travelers.
#4
Horse Jumping Through Group Of Men, Washington, D.C., 1930
#5
"Flat Spare Tires Are Numerous Around Washington These Days Due To The Youthful Football Players Who Have Found An Easier Way To Inflate The Pigskin Than Using Their Lungs. 'Billy' Friel Shown Inflating His Football.", Washington, D.C., 1924
#6
Pres. Hoover's Dogs, White House, Washington, D.C., 1929
Lori T Wisconsin 4 months ago
Never trust a president who doesn’t have any pets. Like Cheeto face.
Meanwhile, ‘just’ 2.2 million of the tourists in D.C. were international travelers. In 2024, all the combined visitors spent a jaw-dropping $11.4 billion and generated $2.3 billion in tax revenue.
This saved each District of Columbia household to the tune of $3,608 in taxes. However, the tourism sector isn’t looking all that rosy now, despite the previously solid numbers.
#7
Person In A Snow Pile, Washington, D.C., Between 1915 And 1923
#8
Warren Harding And Native Americans At White House, Washington, D.C., 1921
Sally Moen 4 months ago
I'm wondering if these men were from the Osage tribe. Wasn't that oil discovery on their tribal land about this time?
#9
Kid Playing In The Snow, Washington, D.C., 1922
Axios warns that “there will likely be a 6.5% drop in international travelers to D.C. this year,” based on the forecast in a release by Destination D.C.. This is part of a wider trend. Furthermore, it’s predicted that there will be a 9.4% drop in foreign tourist arrivals to the United States in 2025.
#10
Washington Cat Show Opens At Wardman Park Hotel, 1920
#11
"Tige" The White House Cat And Pet Of Mrs. Coolidge Has Been Returned, 1924
#12
African American Boy Selling The Washington Daily News - Sign On His Hat Reads, "Have You Read The News? One Cent" - Headline Reads "Millionaire Tax Rends G.o.p.", 1921
Sally Moen 4 months ago
I think that newspaper headline refers to the first income tax we had in the US. It was only taxes on the highest earnings, but there was alot of criticism from the millionaires. Tax laws have changed quite a bit since then, and if you tried to tax the highest-earners today, you would find most of them boosted their deductions through creative bookkeeping that rich people can afford. One of the easiest way to "reduce your income" (taxable wages) is to make charitable donations. And you get to pick the charity or non-profit. So when there is a new law that gives folks a tax credit for such-and-such that is targeted to you, remember, you probably don't earn enough to count a new tax credit. Your tax bracket is probably at the income level that the automatic standard deduction is more than listing separate deductions. Like charitable donations of over $500, which you probably don't give that much.
This drop in foreign arrivals could potentially have a direct effect on the economic situation of the city. That’s because visitors from abroad often spend more time in their destination cities than domestic travelers, and spend twice as much money.
In 2024, international travelers made up just 8% of Washington, D.C.’s visits… and yet, they were responsible for 27% of the total spending.
#13
Picketers At White House With Sign- "4 Years Since I Saw My Daddy.", Washington, D.C., 1922
#14
Union Station, Washington, D.C., Between 1921 And 1922
#15
Man With Horse And Cart, And Dog, 1924
Sally Moen 4 months ago
Beautiful horse. That carriage is quite nice too. And look at the doggie posing for the camera
As per data from 2023, there are around 679k people living in the District of Columbia. However, the population of the city soars to over a million during the workweek, as employees commute in from the Maryland and Virginia suburbs.
Meanwhile, the Washington metropolitan area, encompassing parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, has a population of around 6.3 million people.
#16
President Wilson's Sheep At White House, 1919
Multa Nocte 4 months ago
How things remain the same! Here are Trump's sheep at the capitol. Trumps-She...800001.jpg 
#17
Women In The Street, Washington, D.C., 1922
#18
Washington D.C. Girls' Rifle Team, 1922
Forrest Hobbs 4 months ago (edited)
Made me think of: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2083431/Wizard-St-Trinians-A-fellow-cartoon-legend-salutes-kindly-genius-joyously-anarchic-schoolgirls.html (also https://bardfilm.blogspot.com/2010/08/shakespeare-at-st-trinians.html)
Washington, D.C., is formally known as the District of Columbia. It’s the capital city and federal district of the United States of America, and was named after the very first president of the nation—George Washington. Meanwhile, the district itself is named after the female personification of the nation—Columbia.
#19
Union Station, Washington, D.C, Dining Room, Between 1921 And 1922
YakFactory 4 months ago
Very stylish. Now it's probably just a cafeteria, and you're lucky if the table has been cleaned.
#20
Tank, Next To Key Bridge, Washington, D.C., Between 1921 And 1923
Forrest Hobbs 4 months ago (edited)
In the foreground is a converted Ford Model T. Words fail me. The wheels look to have wooden spokes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artillery_wheel). https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/411944/441175.html?1398599372. The actual tank in the background is a Mark VIII: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_VIII_tank
#21
Washington Senators Manager Stanley Harris, In The Grandstand, Presents President Calvin Coolidge (At Left) With The Baseball Used To Open The 1924 World Series
The federal district is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States Congress and is not part of any state. Nor is it a state itself. D.C. was established as the nation’s capital on July 16, 1790, by the Constitution of the United States.
According to Washington, D.C.’s official destination marketing organization, “from its beginning, it has been embroiled in political maneuvering, sectional conflicts and issues of race, national identity, compromise and, of course, power.”
#22
Lansburg Bathing Girls, Bathing Beach, Wash., D.C., 1922
Forrest Hobbs 4 months ago
To my eyes, that's not so much at a beach as in a studio, being photographed in front of a painted backdrop.
#23
General Federation Of Women Club, N Street, Washington D.C., Between 1918 And 1928
Sally Moen 4 months ago
Ah, the clubs! Another trend from a bygone era. I'd say that doing D&D with a regular group or running a mission in a video game streaming has replaced clubs
#24
Sarah, Ragnel, Angelica, Juliette Pueyrredon, 1926
Sally Moen 4 months ago
The 2 women on the right are wearing hand-knitted sweaters and scarves.
Decades later, in 1846, Wikipedia notes that the capital’s size was reduced, and the land was returned to Virginia. In 1871, Congress created a single municipality for the district. Throughout the past century and a half, there have been a few attempts to turn the district into a state. However, they were all unsuccessful.
#25
Angelica, Juliette, & Marita Pueyrredon, 1927
#26
Col. Theo. Roosevelt & Mrs. Longworth At Capitol, 1926
John Dilligaf 4 months ago
Theodore Roosevelt III, often known as Theodore Jr. He was the eldest son of President Theodore Roosevelt and Edith. He was general during WW2 and received the Medal of Honor for his actions on Utah Beach during D-Day. Mrs Longworth was his half-sister, Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth. The eldest child of U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt and his only child with his first wife, Alice.
What do you think of this collection of historical photos, dear Pandas? Which of these images sincerely impressed you so much that you stopped to take in all the details? What do you think about the fashion of the 1920s? If you could go back in time, what period would you like to visit?
If you’ve been to D.C. before, what was your experience like? We’d love to hear from you! Once you’re done upvoting your favorite photos, scroll down to the comments to share your thoughts with us and all the other readers.
#31
A.j. Shell Of Wise County, Va. With 2 Canes Which He Presented To Pres. Coolidge And Secy. Slemp, White House, Washington, D.C., 1924
#32
Grace Coolidge, Tree Planting Near Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., 1923
#33
Hecht, New Store, 7th And F Sts., Washington, D.C., Between 1910 And 1925
#34
Commander Theodore G. Ellyson And Commander Kenneth Whiting Photographed By Naval Air Station, Anacostia, Washington, D.C.
#35
Horses With Wagons On Snow Covered Street, Washington, D.C., 1925
#37
H.e.f. & A.w.l. In Detroiter, Washington Monument, Washington, D.C., Between 1910 And 1925
Sally Moen 4 months ago
Henry Edgar Frankfurter?Arnold Wooster Lang Bourne? Idk, just guessing.
#38
Ceremony At Jeanne D'arc Memorial, Meridian Hill Park, 1922
Catherine Graves 4 months ago
Joan of Arc was canonized by the Catholic Church in May of 1920, probably leading to the inclusion of this statue. Now also known as Malcolm X Park.
#39
Oldsmobile (Mr. Wilburn D. Thomas), [In Front Of Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., Between 1921 And 1922
#41
On Behalf Of The Elks Of Washington, Joe Judge, Captain Of The Washington Baseball Team, Was Presented With A Beautiful Floral Tribute Today By Judge Robert E. Mattingly Before The Start Of The First Game, 1929
#42
Meriam Battista With Car, Between 1921 And 1922
Forrest Hobbs 4 months ago
Apparently, the car is a "1921 Stephens Salient Six" https://forums.aaca.org/topic/135613-1922-child-star-with-her-stylish-car/ and https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/03/few-more-from-shorpy.html. The human? Oh yes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Battista
#43
Rainbow Pool At Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., 1924
#44
Men With Radio? U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C., 1927
Forrest Hobbs 4 months ago (edited)
I'd guess that's some sort of directional microphone on top - perhaps intended for long-distance audio eavesdropping? Edited to add (ETA): actually, it could just as easily be a very old loudspeaker - but if so, why are the operators wearing headphones? 🤷
#45
Early 1920s, Cosmos Club Washington D.C ., Between 1921 And 1922
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
When I googled it, it seemed it still existed, but the picture on Wikipedia labelled as 1922 is completely different building so I'm guessing it's another place with the same name.
#46
Street Scene, Washington, D.C., Between 1921 And 1923
#48
Herbert Hoover, Center And Calvin Coolidge, 1924
Chewie Baron 4 months ago
You looked too small, in their big black car. To be a threat to the men in the power.
#50
Langley Plane At Smithsonian, Washington, D.C., 1928
Forrest Hobbs 4 months ago
"a model of Langley Aerodrome at the Smithsonian Institution. Paul Garber, at right, helps to hold the model" https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2016888705/. More about Langley's attempts at heavier than air flight here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langley_Aerodrome. N.B: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langley_Aerodrome#1914_modification_and_flight_tests ...
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Forrest Hobbs 4 months ago
Fascinating - although more detailed captions would be nice. Thank you.
Multa Nocte 4 months ago
Forrest - just wanted to thank you for all the times you add the extra research!
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Forrest Hobbs 4 months ago
Fascinating - although more detailed captions would be nice. Thank you.
Multa Nocte 4 months ago
Forrest - just wanted to thank you for all the times you add the extra research!
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