1923 Olsen Pictorial Bird's Eye View Map of Washington, D.C.

This is 1923 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 are 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 White House. The Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial are both prominently illustrated as well. 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. An index of public buildings and other places of interest is situated below the bottom border.

Publication History and Census

This view is unusual and appears late in the view-making tradition. It was created by William Olsen and printed published by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1923. This view is scarce on the market and is catalogued in the OCLC as being part of the institutional collections at the Library of Congress, Yale University, the University of Connecticut, George Washington University, Pennsylvania State University, and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. It had previously been published in a large-format edition in 1921 and in 1922 by the Columbia Planograph Company.