Capital Views: Historic Photographs of Washington, DC, Alexandria and Loudoun County, Virginia, and Frederick County, Maryland

Metropolitan areas change over the time. These changes come together and create a city's character and personality. Renowned Washington, DC, historian James Goode has assembled an incredible collection of images that look back at a Washington before it developed into the international metropolitan city it is today. The impactful historic photography exposes the elements of the DC metro area that have disappeared: the dairy farms of Loudoun County, the railroad round house in Alexandria, and model boats on the Rainbow Pool on the National Mall, as well as provide startling different views of areas and neighborhoods that still exist. The majority of these images have never been published, and under the curatorial eye of James Goode have been put together in a way that give readers a better understanding of the city Washington DC was, and the city it was to become.

"Historian Goode (Washington Sculpture: A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation's Capital) has compiled a fascinating photographic history of the D.C. metro area. From steam locomotives and log cabins to the start of the National Zoo and National Airport, his selection of images shows how the city became what it is today. The large format invites readers to absorb the many details contained in the sepia-toned photographs, which span the period from the 1850s to the 1960s. Goode organizes chapters by location: the National Mall; Market Square; the Hay-Adams Houses; D.C. in 1908 and the 1930s; Alexandria and Loudoun County, Virginia; and Frederick County, Maryland. The accompanying text and detailed captions highlight D.C.'s transitory nature, with many sites hosting generations of buildings. Readers will be amused (by President Taft's pet cow), nostalgic (for streetcars, which might have prevented modern D.C.'s gridlock), and educated, such as about the early history of towns now largely relegated to exurb and suburban sprawl. This volume comes highly recommended for local historians, residents, and anyone else interested in the history of Washington, D.C. and its surrounding area. (Oct.)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

James Goode is the winner of Washingtonian magazine's prestigious “Washingtonian of the Year” award. He is the author of Capital Losses: A Cultural History of Washington's Destroyed Buildings, Second Edition and Best Addresses:  A Century of Washington's Distinguished Apartment Houses.  He lives in Washington, DC.