Lorraine Reid was a young wife in 1947, new to Washington and tasked with finding a larger apartment for herself and her graduate student husband. With so few apartments to be had in the crowded post-war city, she wandered at length and used the opportunity to photograph buildings she came upon, many of them near the U.S. Capitol but in such dilapidated condition that politicians bemoaned their existence adjacent to the center of power.
When Mrs. Reid downsized in 2013 and moved to Findlay, OH, she searched for a good home for her images. The Overbeck Project is grateful to be the recipient of her generosity. We also thank Nancy Freeman for scanning these images for our use.
None of the dwellings Mrs. Reid photographed in 1947 exists today, but we’ve researched the addresses she provided and have identified each location and what is located there now. Please contact us to offer additional information about a scene or an alternative suggestion about the current use of the photographed site.
