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Our National Capital, Viewed From the South

Colored print from Harper’s weekly showing a detailed, labeled aerial view of Washington, DC. The caption reads, “1. Capitol. 2. Botanical Garden. 3. Columbian Armory (where first Troops arriving in 1861 were quartered). 4. National Museum. 5. Smithsonian Institution. 6. Agricultural Department. 7. Washington Monument. 8. State, War, and Navy Departments. 9. White House. 10. Treasury Department. 11. Army Medical and Surgical Museum (Ford’s Theatre, where President Lincoln was shot). 12. Young Men’s Christian Association. 13. General Post-Office. 14. Patent-Office. 15. Centre Market. 16. Baltimore and Potomac Depot (where President Garfield was shot). 17. City Hall (Place of Guiteiteau’s Trial). 18. Baltimore and Ohio Depot. 19. Government Printing Office. 20. Mount Vernon Square. 21. Franklin Square. 22. Orphan Asylum. 23. Howard University. 24. Columbian College. 25. Soldiers’ Home (Summer abode of several Presidents). Our National Capital, Viewed from the South—Drawn by Theo. R. Davis, from Photographs by W.H. Jackson.--[See Page 314.].”/tiles/collection/1/19957.xml
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Colored print from Harper’s weekly showing a detailed, labeled aerial view of Washington, DC. The caption reads, “1. Capitol. 2. Botanical Garden. 3. Columbian Armory (where first Troops arriving in 1861 were quartered). 4. National Museum. 5. Smithsonian Institution. 6. Agricultural Department. 7. Washington Monument. 8. State, War, and Navy Departments. 9. White House. 10. Treasury Department. 11. Army Medical and Surgical Museum (Ford’s Theatre, where President Lincoln was shot). 12. Young Men’s Christian Association. 13. General Post-Office. 14. Patent-Office. 15. Centre Market. 16. Baltimore and Potomac Depot (where President Garfield was shot). 17. City Hall (Place of Guiteiteau’s Trial). 18. Baltimore and Ohio Depot. 19. Government Printing Office. 20. Mount Vernon Square. 21. Franklin Square. 22. Orphan Asylum. 23. Howard University. 24. Columbian College. 25. Soldiers’ Home (Summer abode of several Presidents). Our National Capital, Viewed from the South—Drawn by Theo. R. Davis, from Photographs by W.H. Jackson.--[See Page 314.].”
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Date

1882-05-20

Artist

Theodore Russell Davis; William Henry Jackson

Publication

Harper's Weekly

Publisher

Harper & Brothers

Dimensions

15 3/4 × 22 3/16 in. (40 × 56.4 cm) Framed: 23 11/16 × 29 1/2 in. (60.2 × 74.9 cm)

Accession Number

2007.001.017

Credit Line

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives, Gift of the United States Capitol Historical Society

Object Details

“To obtain a bird’s-eye view of Washington,” wrote Harper’s Weekly, “one need not ascent the towering dome.” Instead, one could see the city spread out in the pages of the magazine, with handy numbered labels for the major landmarks. From the unfinished Washington Monument on the left to the Capitol on the right, and from the Smithsonian Institution in the foreground to Howard University in the distance, the accompanying article gave readers an armchair tour of the District.

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