Years before people could even imagine the DC Metro, another means of public transportation was serving the needs of Washingtonians. It was the D.C. Transit Streetcar System, and it was an important part of the life of the city. During the 1940's, two creative photographers, Esther Bubley and John Collier, captured the following "veritas" portraits.
The Streetcars are long gone. The tracks have been removed. Their refreshing green and white logos have vanished. Many years ago, it was said that "Big Oil" put Streetcar service out of business. I wonder if that's true?

Searching Eyes





Faces on a Streetcar, 1





Finding the Fare

Almost There





Lonesome Tyke





Faces on a Streetcar, 2

Starkeeper
An edit from an old poster
Artist Unknown

Rosalind Russell, 1





A New York State of Mind





"Cute", She Wrote
Angela Lansbury in an early portrait

Rebecca at Sixteen





Rebecca at Sixteen, Close-up of Bouquet





Rebecca at Sixteen, Close-up 2

Going Green
As a vaporous green haze settles over the country, zombie-like men in raincoats stare mindlessly at billboards, while model T's hustle off to various uncertain rendezvous.

Frosty Times

Sitting on a Wall
From a Daguerreotype, C. 1840's

Reading Rocks







Echoes of Compulsion
Although this appears to be a Monty Python piece, it is, let us rather say, an actual historic poster from the Library of Congress. Try to read the text as if you were John Cleese.








A Streetcar Named Desire

Olive Thomas, 4





The Iowan





A Swing and a Miss





Oyster Shucking, Coastal Georgia, C. 1910
Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine





Practice Makes Perfect

The Last Nuance of the Final Phrase





Grace Greenwood, 1848





Portrait of William Grant Still





Scene from Rural Life, 1






Portrait of Serena

Lillian Gish, 1





Lillian Gish, 2





Lillian Gish, 3





Lillian Gish, 4






Lillian Gish, 5

Director Max Reinhardt, and Actress, Anita Louise, at the premiere of the movie version of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", 1935

Anita Louise as Titania, 1





Anita Louise as Titania, 2

Titania by the Waterfall
Anita Louise

Titania with Bottom, 1
Anita Louise with James Cagney





Titania with Bottom, 2
James Cagney with Anita Louise





Titania with the Fairies.
Anita Louise and the Girls of the Cast

Twenties Emotive

Crystal Palace, London, 1851

Crystal Palace, Western USA, 1941

Damsel by the Lake, 2






Sister Says, "Say Cheese"






Carroll Glenn






Portrait of Victor Hugo