Snapshots of the Past

Polis theater front, [Washington, D.C.], 1920 – Historic Print

Polis theater front, [Washington, D.C.], 1920, 1920 — historic photograph
Polis theater front, [Washington, D.C.], 1920, 1920. Historic photograph from the Washington DC collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This historic photograph of Polis theater front, [Washington, D.C.], 1920 brings a moment of history to your wall. It comes from the collections of the Library of Congress, scanned from the original and carefully restored.

Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. Perfect for a home, office, library or classroom wall, and a gift with a story behind it. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

Polis theater front, [Washington, D.C.], 1920

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Glass negatives like this one preserve the entrance of a Washington theater, recorded in the title as the "Polis" theater front, though that spelling is unverified. The National Photo Company, which was active in the capital in the early twentieth century, sent photographers across the city to document streets, storefronts and public buildings. Vaudeville and early motion pictures drew large crowds to downtown houses in the 1920s, so the facade reflects a period when such theaters were central to city life. Viewers should also notice the streaks and blemishes on the glass, which come from deterioration of the original coating rather than from the scene itself.

Created / published1920
Medium1 negative : glass ; 8 x 6 in.
GenreGlass negatives.
NotesTitle from unverified data provided by the National Photo Company on the negative or negative sleeve. Gift; Herbert A. French; 1947. This glass negative might show streaks and other blemishes resulting from a natural deterioration in the original coatings. Temp. note: Batch six.
SubjectsUnited States--District of Columbia--Washington (D.C.}.
SourceLibrary of Congress, National Photo Company Collection
Original scan7,179 × 5,610 px · prints to 24 × 19 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-NPC-258602

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