Legacy Finding Aid for Manuscript and Photograph Collections

801 K Street NW Washington, D.C. 20001

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The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., is a community-supported educational and research organization that collects, interprets, and shares the history of our nation’s capital. Founded in 1894, it serves a diverse audience through its collections, public programs, exhibits, and publications. THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, D.C. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS FINDING AID

Title: SP 0061 Seversmith Photograph Collection, 1928-1960

Scope and Content: The Seversmith Photograph Collection of over 300 photographs is composed of two parts. The first part consists of 185 photographs of the east front of the Capitol, beginning in December 1958, early in the preparations for reconstruction and continuing until September 1960 when the external modifications were essentially complete. The photographs are mounted on to three to a page on thin sheets of notebook-sized cardboard. The second part of the collection consists of 125 images, negatives, and/or 3x5 photos, of various sites in D.C., 1928-1960.

Donor: Dr. Herbert F. Seversmith, 1100.054

Size: 0.7 cubic ft. (two containers)

Restrictions: None

SP 0061 Seversmith Photograph Collection

SV # Date Description 0010-0184 Capitol East Front Reconstruction 1 12/27/58 crane, construction material; Senate Office Building 2 —4 12/27/58 before column removed 5 —7 12/27/58 crane 8 —10 141/59 crane; overhanging dome 11 — 13 1/11/59 14 1/11/59 crane, 1950s auto 15— 17 2/8/59 columns removed; 18— 20 2/8/59 parking lot; 1950s autos 21— 23 2/8/59 1950s autos; Senate Office Building 24— 25 3/1/59 26— 27 3/1/59 28— 29 3/1/59 House and Senate Office Buildings 30—31 3/15/59 32— 34 3/29/59 Library of Congress; overhanging dome 35— 37 3/29/59 38— 39 3/29/59 40 3/29/59 dump truck, worker 41—43 4/19/59 44—45 4/19/59 46—48 4/19/59 1950s autos 49-51 5/10/59 1950s autos 52—53 5/10/59 1950s autos 54 5/10/59 55 — 56 6/7/59 57 6/7/59 58—60 6/7/59 dump truck, auto 61 6/21/59 1950s Packard 62—63 6/21/59 64—66 6/21/59 67—69 7/5/59 70—72 7/5/59 73—74 8/9/591 dome scaffolding; 1950s autos 75—77 8/9/59 78—80 8/9/59 trucks, crane 81—83 8/23/59 trucks, crane

1 SP 0061 Seversmith Photograph Collection

SV # Date Description 84—86 8/23/59 87 8/23/59 1950s autos 88-90 9/13/59 dome scaffolding 91 9/13/59 dome scaffolding 92—94. 9/13/59 95—97 10/11/59 98—100 l0/11/59 new porch substructure 101—102 10/11/59 damn scaffolding 103—105 10/25/59 new porch construction 106—108 10/25/59 109—110 10/25/59 parking lot, 1950s autos 111—112 11/22/59 113—115 11/22/59 116 11/22/59 117—118 1l/22/59 parking lot 1950s autos 119—121 12/6/59 122—124 12/6/59 125—126 12/6/59 127—129 12/27/59 130—131 12/27/59 132 12/27/59 133—134 12/27/59 extension brickwork 135 1/17/60 dome scaffolding 136—138 1/17/60 extension scaffolding 139—141 1/17/60 142—144 1/21/60 removal of dome scaffolding 145 2/21/601 146—148 2/21/60 149—150 2/21/60 151—153 3/13/60 154—156 3/13/60 snow on new steps 157 3/13/60 autos 158—161 6/5/60 columns being added 162—164 6/5/60 165—166 6/5/60 167 6/5/60

2 SP 0061 Seversmith Photograph Collection

SV # Date Description 168—171 6/26/60 column bases. 172 6/26/60 173—174 8/13/60 175—177 8/13/60 pediment, columns completed 178—179 8/13/60 180—182 9/ /60 scaffolding removed from front 183—184 9/ /60 185 9/ /60 East Front essentially completed; 1950s. autos Views of Washington, D.C. (alphabetical) 186 1930 ? Agriculture Dept .Annex construction 187 1938 ? Agriculture Dept. Aerial view ; GSA Bldg; Printing & Engraving SW. Waterfront; Virginia Ave. 188 1928 Archives Building Construction 189 ? Archive, building steps (prior to construction of ); temporary buildings on Mall 189A Argonne Place, NW. (#1601); Chalfont. Apartment. 1940s. autos 190-191 1933 ? Arlington Cemetery Memorial Amphitheater 192 1933 ? Arlington cemetery Memorial Amphitheater 193 1933 ? Arlington Cemetery Memorial Amphitheater 194 1933 ? Arlington Cemetery/Lee Mansion — Sheridan Monument 195 1933 ? Arlington Cemetery 196 1933 ? Arlington Cemetery 197 1933 ? Arlington Cemetery 198 1933 ? Arlington Cemetery 199 1933 ? Arlington Cemetery 199A 1933 ? Arlington Cemetery, Mast of U.S.S. Maine 200 1929 Capitol Building; inauguration stand, autos 201 1929 Capitol Building, view from dome, House Office Buildings, autos 202 1929 Capitol Building, view of Mall, Natural History Museum 203 1929 Capitol Building lamppost 204 1929 Capitol Building, street car tracks on First Street, S.E. 205 1929 Capitol Building, bus 206 1929 Capitol Building, west front in snow 207 1929 Capitol Building, west front 208 1929 Capitol Building, east front 209 1929 Capitol Building, west front, bus, autos 210 6/1949 Capitol Building, east front

3 SP 0061 Seversmith Photograph Collection

SV # Date Description 211 6/1949 Capitol Building 212 6/1949 Capitol Building, Library of Congress 213 5/1950 Capitol Building 214 5/1950 Capitol Building 215 5/1950 Capitol Building, west front 216 5/1950 Capitol Building, west front 217 6/1949 Capitol Building, statuary, 218 6/1949 Capitol grounds, autos, visitors 220 6/1949 Capitol grounds 221 1929 ? Commerce Dept., District Building, looking S.W. 222 1930 ? Commerce Dept., looking north — 14th St & Constitution Ave. 223 D.C. War Memorial near the Mall, Independence Ave. 224 1940s , Connecticut Ave Street car tracks, pedestrians 225 1929 ? , 14th St Bridge, , railroad bridge, site of National Airport 226 1929 ? East Potomac Park, 14th St Bridge, Potomac River, Washington channel, Printing & Engraving Bldg. 227 1936 ? Ellipse, from , , Old State Department, Corcoran Gallery 229 1936 ? Ellipse, from Washington Monument, White House, etc 229 1928 ? , Labor Dept. Interstate Commerce Commission construction 230 1938 ? Federal Triangle, Dept. of Commerce at left, Labor Dept., Interstate Commerce, etc., from Washington Monument, District Building 231 1938 ? Federal Triangle, Dept of Commerce from Washington Monument, Willard Hotel, Treasury 15th St., N.W. 232 6/1949 Folger Library, Puck Statue 233 1930 G St., N.W., looking S.E. bet. 18th & 19th Sts., N.W. (old) YWCA at far left, autos in snow 234 1940s Grant Memorial 235 1940 Grant Memorial 236 1940 Grant Memorial, U.S. Capitol Building 237 1960 ? Grant Memorial 238 1950 Health & Human Services Dept, formerly Social Security Bldgs, autos 239 6/14/52 , auto 240 6/14/52 Jefferson Memorial 241 6/14/52 Jefferson Memorial 242 6/14/52 Jefferson Memorial, visitor

4 SP 0061 Seversmith Photograph Collection

SV # Date Description 243 6/14/52 Jefferson Memorial 244 6/14/52 Jefferson Memorial, 245 6/14/52 Jefferson Memorial 246 5/1950 Library of Congress,. from Supreme Court Bldg. 247 1928 , Reflecting Pool, visitors 248 1928 Lincoln Memorial, interior, statue 249 1928 Lincoln Memorial, autos, visitors 250 1928 Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool, Washington Monument 251 1928 Lincoln Memorial 252 1929 ? Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool, Washington Monument 253 1929 Lincoln Memorial, night photo 254 1929 Lincoln Memorial, night photo 255 1929 Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool

256 1938 ? Lincoln Memorial, Memorial Bridge, drawbridge up, Reflecting Pool, from Washington Monument, Munitions Building, Navy Tempos 257 1938 ? Lincoln Memorial, Memorial Bridge drawbridge down, Reflecting Pool from Washington Monument 258 1939 ? Lincoln Memorial, visitors 259 1938 ? Mall, construction of National Gallery of Arts from Washington Monument 260 1932 ? Mall prior to construction of Archives from Washington Monument 261 1938 ? Mall, construction of National Gallery of Arts from Washington Monument 262 1929 ? Memorial Bridge construction 263 1929 ? Memorial Bridge construction 264 1933 ? Memorial Bridge, autos 265 1933 ? Memorial Bridge 266 1960 ? Memorial Bridge, drawbridge hinge 267 1940s at night 268 1940s Meridian Hill Park at night, Washington Monument 269 1940s Meridian Hill Park at night, Washington Monument 270 1940s Meridian Hill Park at night, Washington Monument 271 1940s Meridian Hill Park at night 272 1940s Meridian Hill Park at night 273 1929 ? Munitions Building, at 18th St. looking west 274 6/1950 National Gallery of Art 275 6/14/52 National Gallery of Art

5 SP 0061 Seversmith Photograph Collection

SV # Date Description 276 6/14/52 National Gallery of Art 277 6/14/52 National Gallery of Art, Mall 278 1936 ? Natural History Museum, autos, pedestrians 280 1930 P St., N.W. 1700 block, looking north, autos 281 1940 Pan American Union 282 1940 Pan American Union, autos 283 1940 Pan American Union, courtyard 284 1940 Pan American Union, courtyard, autos 285 1928 ? Circle, Penn. Ave. at 1st St., NW, building demolition 286 1930s Ave at I St. NW, autos, apartment house 287 1930s Pennsylvania Ave at I St NW, autos apartment house 288 1929 ? Pennsylvania Ave at 17th St NW, traffic policemen, streetcars, autos 289 1929 ? Pennsylvania Ave at 17th St NW, old State Department, street car tracks, pedestrians 290 1928 Post Office Department, auto 291 Reflecting Pool 292—293 1960 ? near Zoo 294 1930s ? Castle, visitors 295 6/14/52 Smithsonian Institution Castle 296 1952 ? Smithsonian Institution Castle 297 6/14/52 Smithsonian Institution Castle 298 6/14/52 Smithsonian Institution Castle 299 1928 Tidal Basin Park 300 1928 Tidal Basin Park 301 1960s ? United States Courthouse, at 3rd St., NW 302 1928 Washington Monument 303 1929 ? Washington Monument 304 1929 ? Washington Monument) 305 6/14/52 Washington Monument from Jefferson Monument 306 6/14/52 Washington Monument 307 1929 ? White House, inaugural stand, autos 308 1930s ? World War I Army Monument from Treasury Bldg 309 1929 ? YMCA, G St at 18th St NW looking SE, autos, street car tracks 310 Zoological Buildings 311 (Unidentified photos from Seversmith Collection)

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