Every year Washingtonians are treated to a feast for the eyes as ornamental cherry trees bloom across the city, most prominently by the Tidal Basin. As cherry blossom season approaches, we would like to share information about two related resources that we hope will offer some inspiration for those near and far: a selected set …
In about a week, residents and visitors in Washington, D.C., will witness the peak bloom of the cherry blossom trees given to the nation by Japan over 100 years ago. This annual profusion of pink and white blossoms on the trees encircling the Tidal Basin draws thousands of people. Many stroll along the water to …
The following is a guest post by Helena Zinkham, Chief, Prints & Photographs Division. How do the delicate blossoms of a cherry tree represent the strength found in friendship? A new video from the Library of Congress suggests many answers in an engaging gallery tour of the exhibition Sakura: Cherry Blossoms as Living Symbols of …
One hundred years ago, the city of Tokyo sent Washington, D.C. a gift of friendship that continues to bloom today. Quite literally, in fact! Three thousand flowering cherry trees arrived in D.C. in 1912, and started what has become an annual spring tradition for residents of the D.C. area and thousands of tourists: going to …
The following is a guest post by Mari Nakahara, Curator of Architecture, Design, and Engineering, and Katherine Blood, Curator of Fine Prints, Prints & Photographs Division. The year 2022 marks the 110th anniversary of the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the city of Tokyo to Washington, D.C. in 1912, an enduring symbol of the …
At the 1898 Trans-Mississippi & International Exposition held in Omaha, Nebraska, visitors could take a ride on a lagoon on a swan boat. I included a stereograph showing the swan boat in my latest Flickr album Stereographs of Fairs and Expositions: I’ve found more swan boats from other places and times in the varied holdings …
The following is a guest post by Kate Fogle, Assistant Curator of Photography, Prints & Photographs Division. Bunnies and baskets. Two words heard often this time of year. With the Easter holiday nearly upon us, the consumer push to provide a bountiful Easter, even to the youngest of children, is felt by most parents I …
The Prints and Photographs Division’s Popular Graphic Art (PGA) Collection is a rich resource for nineteenth-century portraits, views of cities and landscapes, and interpretations of historical events. It is also a great source of pictures that were designed to serve educational purposes and reflect particular values and tastes. I came across several PGA prints that …
Spring in Washington, D.C., is marked by changing weather, gardens coming back to life and of course, cherry blossoms. The famous cherry blossom trees surrounding the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial, a gift from Japan more than a century ago, are nearing peak bloom which also means peak volume of visitors to view them! To …