The Old French Embassy Building

I completely agree with the following  comment I received  about this picture included in yesterday’s post.

I love old photos and these pictures are so great to see with the buildings in the background. I hope the French Embassy building is still there.

Ford Motor Co. Ford at French Embassy, [Washington, D.C.]
[between 1910 and 1926]
National Photo Company Collection (Library of Congress)

 Since had no idea if the building was still there,  I decided to find out. I found the answer at the bottom of the comments under this photo on The Library of Congress’ photo stream on Flickr.

Photograph shows the French Embassy, designed by architect George Oakley Totten, Jr., now the Council for Professional Recognition at 2460 16th St. NW, Washington, D.C.
[between ca. 1915 and ca. 1920]
George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress)

And here is what the building looks like today

Council for Professional Recognition
2460 16th St. NW, Washington, D.C.
via Google Maps

It looks much smaller shot from this angle. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any photos of the interior.

Fords in Washington DC

During the administrations of Presidents Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover (late 19th and early 20th Centuries), the National Photo Company provided photographs of current news events in Washington, D.C. as a daily service to its subscribers. The National Photo Company also provided photographs on assignments for government agencies and businesses such as these for Ford Motor Company.

Ford Motor Co. Ford at French Embassy, [Washington, D.C.]
[between 1910 and 1926]
National Photo Company Collection (Library of Congress)

Ford Motor Co., Lincoln at Captiol, [Washington, D.C.]
[between 1910 and 1935]
National Photo Company Collection (Library of Congress)

Ford Motor Co. Lincoln at Lincoln Memorial, [Washington, D.C.]
[between 1910 and 1926]
National Photo Company Collection (Library of Congress)

Ford Motor Co. Lincoln at War College, [Washington, D.C.]
[between 1910 and 1926]
National Photo Company Collection (Library of Congress)

Ford Motor Co. Ford touring car at Library [of Congress, Washington, D.C.]
[between 1910 and 1926]
National Photo Company Collection (Library of Congress)

 

The photographic files of the National Photo Company, including an estimated 80,000 images (photographic prints and corresponding glass negatives), were acquired by the Library of Congress from its proprietor Herbert E. French in 1947. Over 35,000 of these images can be viewed on the LOC’s Prints and Photographs online catalog.

 

Z is for Zoo Posters at the Library of Congress

Originally Posted April 2012

Between 1935 and 1943 artists in the Federal Art Project, a program of the Works Project Administration (WPA), created public art and posters to publicize exhibits, community activities, theatrical productions, and health and educational programs. The WPA Poster Collection at the Library of Congress includes over 900 posters including these zoo posters.

During the same years the Federal Writers Project, another program of the WPA, produced the American Guide Series of books and over 1,200 books and pamphlets. One of these books was Who’s Who in the Zoo which is still available from public and university libraries around the world.

The Federal Arts Project produced this poster to promote the book.