This silent newsreel from the 1930s was released by Castle Films, and shows Washington, D.C. as it appeared in the pre-war era. The film begins with images of the Capitol building including rare (for this era) aerial shots, apparently filmed from a blimp that is visible later in the newsreel. At :31 you can see traffic passing in front of the building — something you’d never see today. At :45 the building is pressure washed. At :56 the White House is shown, including views shot from the Washington Monument. At 1:17 the West Wing is shown. The Navy and War Departments are seen at 1:15, before the Pentagon existed. The Supreme Court building is seen at 1:45, at this time the edifice was only a few years old. At 2:11 the Treasury Building with its statue of Alexander Hamilton is shown, and at 2:24 Pennsylvania Avenue is shown with parades trouping by. At 2:43 the “castle” of the Smithsonian is seen with the Spirit of St. Louis in its main hall. At 3:00 the Potomac River is seen along with many federal building and the “Triangle Development” with the post office and Commerce Buildings (home of the patent office). At 3:35 the Dept. of Agriculture Building is seen. 3:51 is the Printing and Engraving Building with its printing presses printing government bonds and currency. At 4:20 DuPont Circle is seen and many foreign embassies. At 4:31 the Lincoln Memorial is seen with a blimp flying in the b/g. The statue of Lincoln is seen at 4:45. At 4:45 the Reflecting Pool is seen, with boats gracing its waters. At 5:00 the Washington Monument is seen, tallest masonry structure in the world. At 5:20 the cherry blossom trees are shown. At 5:30 the Library of Congress is shown with the Constitution on display. At 6:00 is the Pan American Union building. The National Cathedral is seen at 6:10, and at 6:30 Ford’s Theater is shown as well as the home where Lincoln died at 6:45. At 6:50 the Rock Creek Park is shown, while at 7:26 women in swimsuits sit by a large swimming pool, while at 7:41 tennis is played near the Capitol. At 7:50 the Arlington Memorial Bridge is shown and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at 8:00. The Lee or Custiss Mansion is seen at 8:30, and Mount Vernon as well. At 8:50 Washington’s tomb is shown. At 9:00 the city is seen in winter. The film ends with views of the Capitol at night.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com