Washington on View: The Nation's Capital Since 1790

by John William Reps

The 15x11.5" format accommodates 160 color and 12 b&w illustrations, many of them decidedly horizontal, and accompanying text laid out in two wide (5.5") columns. Before photography, Washington, DC was the subject of numerous engravings, aquatints, and lithographs which were published separately as well as in newspapers and magazines, souvenir booklets, and guidebooks and brochures. A selection of these illustrations depicting buildings or districts, views from public structures, and bird's-eye views is presented along with descriptions of Washington from contemporary published works by journalists, architects, travelers, politicians, and others. Nine chapters review successive periods of growth and identify events that shaped the city's character. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

297 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1991