Washington, D.C.: A Pictorial Souvenir
by By Highsmith, Carol M. and Landphair, Ted
Category: History , United States , State & Local , General

Carved out, at the close of the eighteenth century, of some of the thickest woods and foulest swamps north of Georgia, the glorious city of Washington D.C., is among America's most stately, most beautiful, and most impressive.  Indeed, once maligned by Charles Dickens as simply "spacious avenues that begin in nothing and lead nowhere; streets a mile long that only want houses, roads, and inhabitants; public buildings that need but a public to be complete, " Washington, D.C. today is a powerful symbol not only of our nation but of democracy.Spanning the Potomac in majestic fashion, the city fans out gracefully, offering a multitude of pleasures to the more than twenty million tourists who visit annually.  From official Washington (the imposing Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the White House, the Capitol, the souring obelisk of the Washington Monument) to its lush public parks and gardens; from Arlington National Cemetery to the Capitol reflecting pool; the Museum of Natural History's fabled elephant; the charm of its celebrated Cherry Blossom Festival to the somber beauty of the Vietnam Wall; from the massive FBI Building to the profoundly moving Holocaust Museum—Washington D.C., A Pictorial Souvenir, a marvelously evocative portrait in words and pictures, captures this historic city memorably.A wonderful keepsake for anyone who has ever visited Washington, and an enticing gift for those who merely dream of strolling down Pennsylvania Avenue, America's "Main Street," Washington D.C., A Pictorial Souvenir succeeds in conveying all the grandeur of the nation's capital while reminding us that this splendor belongs, of course, to all who prize democracy.