Features
- Cover Type: Hard Cover with 216 pages
- Published by: Turner Pub Co January 11, 2008
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 1596524138
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-1596524132
-
Book Dimensions:
10.1 x 10 x 1.1 inches
- Weighs: 2.7 pounds
Product Review
A new book has recently hit the bookstores titled Historic photographs of Alexandria. It joins a series of books published by the Turner Publishing Company that historically photo-journals various cities and sites across the United States. Authored by two Alexandria archivists, Julie Ballin Patton and Rita Williams Holtz, Historic photographs of Alexandria is a treasure trove for both local Alexandrians and history buffs everywhere
Historic photographs of Alexandria depicts this colorful and varied history through still photographs selected from the Library of Congress and the Local History-Special Collections branch of the Alexandria Library. From the occupation of Alexandria by Union troops during the Civil War to the thriving downtown shopping and dining district of the 1940s and 1950s, Historic photographs of Alexandria follows life and events throughout the city's history.
From the first photo of the Government Coal Wharf (ca 1863), to the last photo of the U.S. Coast Guard s Eagle taken in 1977, Historic photographs of Alexandria keeps the reader thoughtfully turning pages, sometimes through rather haunting pictures of Alexandria s past. --Hope J. Gibbs, alexandrianews.org
Product Description
Alexandria, Virginia, has been witness to events which helped create America. Many of the nation's founding fathers and well-known historical figures, including George Washington and Robert E. Lee, lived in, worked in, and were a part of the city. Though it started out as a modest tobacco trading town and seaport, Alexandria has truly been at the crossroads of American history. Its citizens are proud of Alexandria's place in history and its importance as a city steeped in the narrative of the founding of the United States.
Historic photographs of Alexandria depicts this colorful and varied history through still photographs selected from the Library of Congress and the Local History Special Collections branch of the Alexandria Library. From the occupation of Alexandria by Union troops during the Civil War to the thriving downtown shopping and dining district of the 1940s and 1950s, Historic photographs of Alexandria follows life and events throughout the city's history.
Reader ReviewsAlexandria, Virginia has been an important town on the Potomac River for centuries. This book has a bit more than 200 historic photographs taken of the city from the Civil War through the early 1970s. The four sections of the book are from 1860-1899. The second section takes us from the turn of the century through the just after the end of the First World War (1900-1919). The third section shows us the impact of the crash of the Great Depression to the eve of the Second World War (1920-1939). The fourth section takes us through WWII through the 1970s (1940-1970s). I think that the pictures were wonderfully selected that show us how the people lived, their architecture, the technology, their dress, their trades, their pastimes, how the big events shaped the way people coped, and the captions provide just enough to put the pictures in context without getting in their way. Each section gets a page of text to set the tone. Obviously, the book will mean most to the people who live or have lived in Alexandria and whose roots reach down into the history preserved here. However, for anyone interested in US History, these photographs give a good insight into the time periods covered and considering Alexandria's importance and proximity to Washington D.C., this is a very interesting and helpful book. Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
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