by Joseph Passonneau
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Product Description
The history of Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, is as complex and fascinating as that of the nation itself. Built on an almost untouched plot of land on the Potomac River, the city has grown from a collection of small villages into a major metropolis with a central position on the world stage. Author Joseph R. Passonneau has crafted an account that complements a comprehensive and detailed text with an exceptional array of images, both archival and contemporary.
Passonneau weaves his discussion around the continuous growth, change, and renewal of the city, focusing on various physical and social components -- federal structures both formal and utilitarian; central and suburban neighborhoods; transportation technologies, from the stagecoach and the railroad to the Metro and the airplane; patterns of settlement based on ever changing demographics. Illustrations include elegant hand-tinted perspective drawings, photographs from all eras of Washington's history, and visionary sketches. Foremost among the visual material is a series of spectacular fold-out maps prepared by the author that show every structure in central Washington and Georgetown at key points in the city's history. As the city continues to develop into the twenty-first century and beyond, these maps and this book will provide a fascinating reference and a fundamental guideline.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Stunning, 2007-03-31
I've been looking for maps that depict DC through the years. I live in SouthWest DC in one of the few new buildings that obviously took the place of many things that were here before. This book has been so helpful in showing the development of DC through the years. Between maps I've never seen before, plans and photos, this is a must have for anyone who wants to see the changes in DC in the past two hundred years.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Terrific Research Guide, 2005-10-01
As the title suggests, Washington Through Two Centuries is a terrific book for those interested in examining Washington's evolution over 200 years. I would caution however that it may not be a great book for someone who wants a condensed, easy to read story. More of a reference guide than a coffee table book, it takes a bit of time to digest.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Fabulous Planning History, 2005-03-26
Mr. Passonneau's book on Washington successfully covers the planning history of this country's capitol city, and essentially uses it as an illustration of how planning can guide development of a city on many levels. The maps in this book are the culmination of a thirty year project which, because it involved historically accurate hand drawings of the facades of all of the buildings in the covered area, is certain never to be undertaken again. Thus this book is not only extremely informative and interesting from historical, social and political perspectives, it is in itself a beautiful work of art, a feast for the eyes.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
A Great Book for Architects and Planners, 2004-07-09
Joe Passonneau has combined history, planning and architecture in our nation's capitol that has a certain relevance to every serious, large city in the country. What you really learn here is how architecture and planning can work together in a creative relaltionshiip and both better for the experience. If the elected officials were crafting laws with the same care, concern and perhaps even love, that architects, planners and a host of other insightful non-professionals were using to build Washington, DC, we would all be better off today.The maps alone are glorious and probably worth the price of the book itself. Study them and you will start to understand and appreciate the historic process by which cities either reinvent themselves or fail to do so. Architects, planners and history buffs should own this book. Period.
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