Tag: The Ellipse

Life in gardens: July 1942

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Washington, D.C., in July 1942, by Marjory Collins, via Library of CongressA hot Sunday in Washington, D.C., before air-conditioning.

All three photos of Ellipse Park by Marjory Collins, via Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Washington, D.C., in July 1942, by Marjory Collins, via Library of Congress

The mean daytime temperature that month was 86° — the high was 98°; the low was 78°. The daily high for humidity ranged from 76% to 100%.

Washington, D.C., in July 1942, by Marjory Collins, via Library of Congress

In the dog days of summer . . .

The wind lifts up my life
And sets it some distance from where it was.

— Meena Alexander, from “Dog Days of Summer“

Life in gardens: the Ellipse

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What means this tumult in a vestal’s veins? . . .*

Maypole, 1925, Library of CongressMay pole dancing on the Ellipse, Washington, D.C., May 1, 1925, by National Photo Company, via Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Collection.

Maypole dance, 1925, via Library of CongressClick on the photos for larger views.

*Alexander Pope, from “Eloisa to Abelard“