Scope and Contents The collection contains approximately 270 black and white prints and 83 slides, the majority of which depict the African-American community of the Southwest neighborhood of Washington, D.C., primarily from the 1920s through the 1970s. The photographs document a historic neighborhood that would be largely razed in the 1950s and 1960s, dramatically changing the landscape and population of the neighborhood. The photographs of streets, businesses, and buildings provide visual...

Scope and Contents

The collection contains correspondence, meeting minutes, committee reports, memoranda, legal papers, and general office files of Downtown Progress. Also included are photographs, sketches, maps, architectural drawings, street diagrams, and slides of buildings and streetscapes located in the downtown urban renewal area of Washington, D.C.

Content Description

The collection contains 235 color slides purchased or taken in the 1960s by sisters Edna Owen and Vera Owen Black. The slides depict attractions around the National Mall, including the Washington Monument and the Tidal Basin during cherry blossom season. Of note are two tray bins with slides of visitors visiting John F. Kennedy’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery.