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The Mall and the river · 65 photographs

The Tidal Basin and Potomac Park

The 1912 cherry trees, the bathing beach and the new parkland made from the Potomac flats.

A man kneeling with a tape measure beside two women in bathing suits
1922 A park policeman measures the distance between bathing suit and knee at the Tidal Basin beach, 1922, after an order regulating bathing suits.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LOT 12294, vol. 6, p. 31 [item] [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication

History

After the flood of 1881 the Army Corps of Engineers dredged the Potomac channel and piled the spoil on the marshy flats beside the city, creating hundreds of acres of new land: West and East Potomac Park. The Tidal Basin was built to flush the Washington Channel with each tide.

On March 27, 1912, Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda planted the first two of 3,020 Japanese cherry trees given by Tokyo on the basin’s north bank. The new parkland was also where the city went for fresh air: a racially segregated bathing beach operated on the Tidal Basin from 1918 to 1925 (Congress planned a separate beach for Black bathers, but southern senators blocked it, and Congress closed the beach rather than integrate it); there were polo grounds and the Speedway drive. On May 15, 1918 the first scheduled airmail flight left from West Potomac Park.

What's there now

The Jefferson Memorial (1943) stands on the south side of the basin, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial (2011) and Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial on the west. The National Cherry Blossom Festival draws large crowds every spring.

Then and now

The first two trees planted in 1912 still stand near the end of 17th Street SW, marked by a plaque. The open, young parkland of these photographs is now mature trees and memorials, and swimming in the basin ended in 1925.

Compare: The cherry trees at the Tidal Basin, 1912–15 and about 1920.

Photographs 65, oldest first

An obelisk reflected in still water among lily pads
c. 1900 The Washington Monument reflected in a lily pond, about 1900. place probableDetroit Publishing Company, Library of Congress · LC-D4-13023 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A willow on a riverbank with the Washington Monument far off
c. 1900–15 The Washington Monument from Potomac Park, across the water, early 1900s.Detroit Publishing Company, Library of Congress · LC-D4-500019 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Carriages and a motor car on a curving park road lined with young trees
c. 1905–15 Horse-drawn carriages and an early motor car share the curving Boulevard through Potomac Park.Detroit Publishing Company, Library of Congress · LC-D4-39999 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Early motor cars and spectators behind a white rail, the Washington Monument in the distance
c. 1909–14 Open motor cars and onlookers line the rail at the opening of the Speedway, the Washington Monument beyond.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 810 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A large early motor car with a chauffeur, a man in top hat and riding boots beside it
c. 1909–14 A uniformed chauffeur sits at the wheel of a large touring car at a concert in Potomac Park, a footman in top hat beside it.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 1296 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A man in a sweater with a big W skating on ice, other skaters and a chimney behind
1912 Dr. C. E. Meyers of the Treasury Department skates in a lettered sweater among other skaters on the ice, 1912. place uncertainHarris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 634 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A tall stone pylon with a bronze statue, an American flag draped beside it
April 17, 1912 The new John Paul Jones Monument, hung with flags, on the day of its dedication in 1912. place probableHarris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 1139 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A path under flowering cherry trees beside water, an obelisk far off
c. 1912–15 The Japanese cherry trees in blossom along the Tidal Basin, with the Washington Monument in the distance.Date checked: The Library dates this 1900–1915, but the Tidal Basin cherry trees were planted in March 1912.Detroit Publishing Company, Library of Congress · LC-D418-73523 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Choppy storm waves on a basin with the Washington Monument on the far shore
c. 1910–17 Wind-whipped waves break against the Tidal Basin wall during a storm, the Washington Monument standing beyond.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 7059-B [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Many swimmers in the water with heads bobbing
c. 1909–19 Swimmers crowd the water at the municipal bathing beach, 1910s.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F81- 978 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A waterside view toward the Washington Monument with a small balloon in the sky
c. 1911–17 The view north across the Tidal Basin to the Washington Monument and the Bureau of Engraving, with a balloon in the sky at right, 1910s.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 6009 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A park road beside water with carriages, the Washington Monument beyond
c. 1910–20 Carriages roll along the Boulevard in Potomac Park beside the water, the Washington Monument and Old Post Office tower in the distance.Detroit Publishing Company, Library of Congress · LC-D4-72215 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Flowering cherry trees on a grassy bank beside still water, the Washington Monument beyond
c. 1910–20 Japanese cherry trees bloom along the water's edge, the Washington Monument rising across the Tidal Basin. place probableNational Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F82- 9138 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A biplane parked on a grass field
1917 An Avro training biplane on the polo grounds for the Allied aircraft demonstration, 1917.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 23003 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Mechanics working on biplanes beside a hangar
1917 Allied aircraft being readied at the polo grounds for a demonstration, 1917.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 24734 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Aerial view of a long park peninsula between river channels
c. 1916–19 Hains Point, East Potomac Park and the Tidal Basin from the air in the late 1910s, with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in the foreground.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 24667 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Huge blocks of ice heaped beside a park bench on a riverbank, a bridge in the distance
1918 Great blocks of ice pushed up onto the bank off Potomac Park during the ice jam of 1918, a bridge across the river behind.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 23139 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
An aviator in flying gear standing on a field
1918 Lieutenant George Boyle, pilot on the first day of scheduled airmail service, May 15, 1918.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 24644 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A spherical balloon with a basket rising above a crowd and trees
1918 A gas balloon ascends over the polo grounds in a 1918 demonstration, watched by a crowd at the edge of the field.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 29743 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Men and women in hats standing beside a biplane on a grassy field
May 1918 Onlookers gather round a Curtiss biplane on the Potomac Park polo field as scheduled air mail service begins in May 1918.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 24633 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Men in uniform lifting a sack into the cockpit of a biplane as a crowd watches
May 1918 Soldiers hoist mail sacks into a Curtiss biplane on the polo field for the first scheduled air mail flight, May 1918.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 24640 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Two biplanes parked on a grass field beside a hangar tent
May 15, 1918 Curtiss biplanes at the polo field in Potomac Park for the start of the first scheduled airmail service, May 1918.Date checked: The Library gives May 1918; the first scheduled airmail left the Potomac Park polo field on May 15, 1918.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 24652 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Aerial view over parkland, river and long rows of buildings
1919 Potomac Park and the river from the air, 1919, with wartime buildings in the foreground.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 30457 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Aerial view of a long bridge over water, a basin and the Washington Monument
1919 The Long Bridge, the Tidal Basin and the Washington Monument from an aeroplane, 1919.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H261- 30586 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Three swimmers diving through the air from a wooden diving tower
c. 1915–23 Bathers dive in mid-air from a tall wooden tower at the Tidal Basin bathing beach.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H27- A-899 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A woman in a bathing costume bending at the water's edge, two boys and the Monument behind
c. 1915–23 Beatrice Smith, in bathing dress and stockings, tests the water at the Tidal Basin as two boys look on, the Washington Monument behind.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H27- A-1015 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A policeman walks ahead of women in bathing costumes, crowds and the Washington Monument behind
July 26, 1919 A policeman leads costumed bathers through the crowd at the Tidal Basin bathing beach parade, July 26, 1919.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 44091 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A motor car on a riverside road with an obelisk in the distance
c. 1919–20 An Oldsmobile touring car on the Speedway in Potomac Park, with the Washington Monument behind, about 1920.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F82- 3760 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Blossoming trees beside a curving pool of water, the Washington Monument beyond
c. 1919–20 Cherry trees in bloom along the Tidal Basin wall, the Washington Monument and a smoking factory chimney across the water, around 1920. place probableNational Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F82- 4055 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A group in bathing suits and costumes posing by a bathhouse
1920 Young men in costume clown for the camera at the Tidal Basin bathing beach, 1920.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 9498 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Trees arching over a curved shoreline with the Washington Monument in the distance
1920 Cherry trees in leaf along the Tidal Basin, 1920, with the Washington Monument beyond.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F81- 7921 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Uniformed aviators standing in a row under the nose and propellers of a large biplane
c. 1909–32 Airmen in flying coats line up beneath the nose of a huge Handley Page bomber on the polo grounds. place probableNational Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 44033 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
People with cameras and an easel under blossoming trees, an obelisk across the water
c. 1909–32 A painter at his easel and a crowd of photographers among the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin, facing the Washington Monument.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LOT 12355-5 <item> [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Crowds of bathers by a pool edge beneath a lifeguard's umbrella stand
c. 1912–30 Swimmers crowd the edge of the Washington bathing beach under a lifeguard's tall umbrella chair, boys splashing in the foreground.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F81- 44065 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A group of young bathers standing in shallow water with the Washington Monument behind
c. 1912–30 Young men and women in bathing suits stand knee-deep at the Washington bathing beach, the Washington Monument behind.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F81- 44066 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Two women in 1920s bathing suits standing in shallow water with swimmers behind
1921 Two bathers at the Tidal Basin bathing beach, 1921.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 14950 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Young women in bathing suits sitting on a large stuffed alligator on a beach
c. 1919–23 Bathers in swimsuits clown around a stuffed alligator on the sand of the Tidal Basin bathing beach.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H27- A-897 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Polo players on galloping horses across a wide grass field
October 10, 1921 War Department and Camp Grant teams in action on the polo field, October 10, 1921. place uncertainNational Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 16094 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A row of people under blossoming trees by the water with an obelisk behind
1922 A family group under the cherry trees at the Tidal Basin, 1922, with the Washington Monument beyond.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 18302 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Swimmers in bathing suits on a sandy beach with the Washington Monument behind
1922 Bathers on the Tidal Basin beach, 1922, with the Washington Monument across the water.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 19257 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A man kneeling with a tape measure beside two women in bathing suits
1922 A park policeman measures the distance between bathing suit and knee at the Tidal Basin beach, 1922, after an order regulating bathing suits.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LOT 12294, vol. 6, p. 31 [item] [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
People under flowering cherry trees beside a basin wall, the Washington Monument behind
April 1922 Visitors under the Japanese cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin wall, April 1922, the Washington Monument beyond. place probableHarris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H27- A-4257 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A large crowd of people in bathing suits around women walking through on a beach
June 17, 1922 A crowd of bathers surrounds the contestants at the Washington bathing beach contest, June 17, 1922.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 19121 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A young woman in a bathing cap reading a book while floating in the water
June 24, 1922 Muriel Quackenbush reads a book while afloat in a surf chair at the Washington bathing beach, June 24, 1922.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 19077 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A wooden diving tower packed with swimmers, one diving through the air
1923 Bathers crowd a tall wooden diving tower in the water, one in mid-dive, at the opening of the bathing beach in 1923. place probableNational Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 24431 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A large crowd of cheering boys in bathing suits on a beach, boats on the water behind
1923 A crowd of boys and young men in bathing suits cheers and waves on the sand at the opening of the bathing beach, 1923. place probableNational Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 24432 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Aerial view over a basin, parkland and the river
1923 The Bureau of Engraving, the Tidal Basin and Potomac Park from the Washington Monument, 1923.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F81- 22134 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A row of young women in bathing suits dancing in a line on a beach, the Monument far behind
1923 A line of bathing beauties kicks up their heels on the beach in 1923, the Washington Monument across the water. place probableHarris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H234- A-6040 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A tall wooden diving tower in the water with swimmers
June 2, 1923 The diving tower at the Tidal Basin bathing beach, June 2, 1923.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LOT 12342-2 [item] [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Swimmers on a multi-level wooden diving tower standing in the water
June 2, 1923 Bathers crowd a tall wooden diving tower at the Tidal Basin bathing beach in June 1923.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LOT 12295, v. 5, p. 2 [item] [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A flooded park with the Washington Monument reflected in the water
1924 Flood water spreads over Potomac Park in 1924, with the Washington Monument beyond. place probableNational Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F81- 30660 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Women in bathing caps sitting in shallow water around a game board
June 20, 1924 Bathers play mah-jong on a floating table at the Tidal Basin bathing beach, June 20, 1924.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 31007 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Bathers in the water around a huge ball
July 10, 1924 A giant push ball game in the shallows at the Tidal Basin bathing beach, July 10, 1924.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F81- 31437 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Canoes decked with ornaments on calm water, the Washington Monument in the distance
August 4, 1924 Decorated canoes gather on the Tidal Basin for the canoe regatta and water carnival of August 4, 1924, the Washington Monument beyond.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 31711 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Two young men standing outside a wooden bathhouse
August 7, 1924 The Hawaiian Olympic swimmer Warren Kealoha at the Tidal Basin bathhouse, August 7, 1924.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F81- 31779 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Dozens of swimmers on a raft in open water with the Washington Monument behind
August 7, 1924 Bathers crowd a float at the Tidal Basin beach, with the Washington Monument across the water, 1924.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F81- 31791 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Sailors in white in front of a tall stone memorial
1925 Sailors at a ceremony at the John Paul Jones Memorial in West Potomac Park, 1925.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H234- A-9903 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Men tipping milk-churn style cans into the water from a stone wall, the Monument behind
c. 1920–30 Fish Commissioner Henry O'Malley and helpers empty cans of fish into the water at the Tidal Basin, the Washington Monument across the water.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LOT 12362 <item> [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Snowy shoreline lined with bare trees beside a frozen basin
January 14, 1925 The cherry trees bare and snow-covered along the Tidal Basin, January 14, 1925.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F82- 455 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Wrecked wooden sheds and lumber by the water with the Washington Monument behind
August 10, 1925 The bath houses of the Tidal Basin bathing beach being torn down in August 1925, with the Washington Monument beyond.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 36718 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
A couple walking along a waterside path under flowering cherry trees
c. 1923–29 Japanese Ambassador Tsuneo Matsudaira and Madame Matsudaira stroll beneath the cherry blossoms in Potomac Park in the 1920s.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H2- B-37 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
People walking along a basin wall under blossoming cherry trees, the Monument in the distance
March 21, 1927 Strollers walk beneath arching cherry blossoms beside the Tidal Basin wall, the Washington Monument beyond, spring 1927. place probableDate checked: The Library's date reads February 21, 1927, but its own title says 3/21/27, and the cherry trees have never bloomed before mid-March.National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress · LC-F8- 41004 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Silhouette of a man fishing beneath trees by the water, the Washington Monument behind
June 1929 An angler is silhouetted under the trees at the water's edge in the summer of 1929, the Washington Monument pale beyond. place uncertainHarris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H2- B-3443 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
Two women in kimono under blossoming cherry trees by the water
1930 Cherry blossom time at the Tidal Basin, April 2, 1930: women in kimono under the trees.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H2- B-3891 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication
People in kimono and suits walking under blossoming trees by the water
1932 The Japanese ambassador's party walks under the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin, April 1932.Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress · LC-H2- B-5157 [P&P] · No known restrictions on publication

Nearby: The Washington Monument · The Potomac waterfront · Seventeenth Street · The Lincoln Memorial · State, War and Navy Building