Vintage landscape: the tree sellers

For ev’ry year the Christmas tree,
Brings to us all both joy and glee.

Bring on the holiday season!

“View of street vendors at 7th and B Streets, NW [Washington, D.C.] (ca. 1880 [sic]),” by E.B. Thompson, via D.C. Public Library Commons on flickr.

B Street, N.W., was the original name for what is now Constitution Avenue (since 1931). At the time of this picture, Center Market stood on B Street, between 7th. and 9th. Streets — at the current site of the National Archives building.

Commenters on the flickr page have suggested — correctly, I think — that the 1880 date is wrong and the photo was probably taken in the first decade of the 20th century.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Much pleasure dost thou bring me!

— from c. 1910 English version of O Tannenbaum