1921 Olsen Bird's Eye View of Washington, D.C.

This is an unusual and rare 1921 large-format William Olsen bird's-eye view of Washington, D.C. and environs. Oriented toward the southwest, the view depicts the city from the U.S. Capitol Building south to Virginia and Maryland. Beautifully drawn, individual buildings throughout Washington are discernable and numerous locations labeled. Some of the important government buildings illustrated in three dimensions, include the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution (comprised of the Smithsonian Castle, the Arts and Industries Building, and the National Museum of Natural History), several buildings occupied by the War Department and the Navy Department, and the Executive Mansion (White House). George Washington University, Georgetown University, and Howard University are also identified. Several different YMCA locations are situated around the city, along with an orphan asylum, hotels, and electric and telephone companies. Foreign legations and embassies are also depicted. Major streets and circles are also labeled, although not all are illustrated, as they are blocked by the buildings.

This view is unusual and appears late in the view-making tradition.  It was produced by William Olsen and printed by the A.B. Graham Company in 1921.  This view is scarce on the market and is here in its first edition.  It was reissued in 1922 by the Columbia Planograph Company and again, on a much smaller scale, in 1923.