Photographer's Guide to Washington DC – A photographer's guide to Washington DC.

Netherlands Carillon

April 11, 2016 By David Coleman Leave a Comment

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Standing near both the Iwo Jima Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, the Netherlands Carillon has one of the best views in the area. It stands on a hill looking over the Potomac past the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and US Capitol Dome, offering views like this.

The 50 bells that make up the Carillon were a gift from the people of the Netherlands to the people of the United States in gratitude for assistance during World War II. After first arriving in 1954, bells were temporarily hung in West Potomac Park. A new, permanent tower was built for them across the Potomac, and they were installed in their current position in 1960.

The bronze alloy bells are hung in a tower 127 feet high, which you can’t climb. And while you can’t see them up close, each of the bells is inscribed with symbols of aspects of Dutch society as well as poetry by Dutch poet Ben van Eysselsteijn.

During the spring, there’s a large flower garden at its base featuring, naturally enough, tulips. And you can hear the bells ringing in automated concerts throughout the day and chiming the hour. During the summer there are free, live concerts every Saturday evening (6 to 8pm) as well as special holiday concerts on Memorial Day and Labor Day (both at 2pm to 4pm). You can find more information here.

Photos of the Netherlands Carillon

360° Virtual Tours

Ultra-High Resolution Panorama

Here’s an ultra-high resolution panorama (2.6 gigapixels) that allows you to zoom in considerably to see details, including the etchings on some of the bells.

Map

Official Website

NPS

In the spring, there are lots of tulips around the area. Another good option is the tulip garden at the base of the Floral Library.

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Floral Library

April 7, 2016 By David Coleman Leave a Comment

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The Floral Library is a flower garden patch planted by the National Park Service next to the Tidal Basin. It consists mainly of several varieties of tulips, but there are also daffodils and other flowers.

The tulips typically bloom a little later than the famous cherry blossoms, but it’s not uncommon for them to be in bloom at the same time. So the Floral Library makes for a nice little diversion as you wander around the Tidal Basin.

Photos of the Floral Library

How to Get Here

It’s located right next to the Tidal Basin, next to the northern end of the Maine Ave parking lot (the opposite end of the parking lot from the paddle boats). If you’re trying to get your bearings, it’s on the corner of the Tidal Basin closest to the Washington Monument.

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Commodore John Paul Jones Memorial

March 19, 2016 By David Coleman Leave a Comment

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Commodore John Paul Jones (1747-1792) was a hero of the American Revolutionary War, with his daring exploits against the formidable British Navy earning him fame in the fledgling republic. He is sometimes credited as the Father of the American Navy (a title also sometimes credited to John Barry).

His statue stands near an inlet of the Tidal Basin, not far from the Washington Monument and National World War II Memorial.

It was completed in 1912. Its centerpiece is a bronze statue of Jones with a decidedly determined stance and gaze. He’s surrounded by an large marble pedestal with various military and naval symbols as well as small fountains (for the naval theme). On the back of the pedestal is a relief of Jones raising a flag on a U.S. man-of-war, representing his reputation as having been the first to raise the new American flag on an American naval vessel. One notable inscription on the pedestal memorializes his words: “Surrender? I have not yet begun to fight!”

Jones’s exploits during the Revolutionary War are what made him famous in American history, but John Paul Jones later joined the Imperial Russian Navy where he eventually attained the rank of rear admiral.

Photos of the John Paul Jones Memorial

Getting Here

The memorial is close to the Washington Monument, National World War II Memorial, and the Tidal Basin. It stands on a small traffic island. If you’re standing at the Washington Monument facing the Lincoln Memorial, head 45 degrees to your left towards the Tidal Basin.

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Japanese Lantern at the Tidal Basin

March 19, 2016 By David Coleman Leave a Comment

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Like the Japanese Pagoda, which is nearby, the Japanese Lantern looks modest and unassuming.

Both are very deliberately placed among the famous cherry blossoms that line the edge of the Tidal Basin. They are, after all, Japanese cherry blossoms, also known as sakura. And like both monuments, the trees themselves were originally a gift from Japan.

The granite lantern dates back around 1651, making it of a similar age to the Japanese Pagoda.

It was installed here in 1954, but for the first three centuries of its life, it sat in the grounds of a temple in Tokyo. Less than a decade after the end of World War II, it was moved from there and gifted by the governor of Tokyo to the United States on the hundredth anniversary of the peace treaty of Yokohama, which is also known as the Convention of Kanagawa and better known in the United States as the “opening” of Japan to the West by U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry.¹

Some of the cherry trees near the lantern are original trees dating back to the 1912 planting, and the lantern was deliberately placed next to the two original trees planted by Mrs. Taft and Viscountess Chinda when the trees were originally planted.

Cherry blossom festivities were already well-established at the Tidal Basin at least a decade for the lantern arrived, but since 1954 the lantern lighting ceremony has become a key ceremonial moment in the festival. The lighting is traditionally done by an “Embassy of Japan Cherry Blossom princesses,” which is usually a daughter of one of the Japanese diplomats based at the embassy.

For many years the lantern looked a bit lonely just stuck on a patch of grass by itself. But within the past few years it has gotten a bit of a makeover with a paved area and boulders around it that help make it stand out more.

Photos of the Japanese Lantern

Getting Here

The Japanese Lantern is on the shore of the Tidal Basin between the MLK Memorial and Kutz Bridge.

The best way to get here is by Metro. The closest stop is Smithsonian (0.8 miles) (Orange and Silver lines). It’s also a pretty easy walk Arlington Cemetery. Metro has a handy Trip Planner and here’s a map of the Metro lines.

There is some parking next to the MLK Memorial along West Basin Drive SW, including some disabled parking spots. There’s also a small parking lot on the eastern side of the Tidal Basin accessed along Maine Ave SW. (This parking lot is closed off during cherry blossom season.) There’s more parking along the Potomac, extending all the way along Ohio Drive and up around Hains Point, including some convenient parking lots at the foot of the 14th Street Bridge.

James M. Goode, Washington Sculpture: A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation’s Capital (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008) p. 496. ↩

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Japanese Pagoda

March 11, 2016 By David Coleman Leave a Comment

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The Japanese Pagoda is one of the smallest monuments in Washington DC, and it’s very easy to miss. It’s nestled in amongst the trees on the western bank of the Tidal Basin, immediately adjacent to the southern entrance of the FDR Memorial.

It can be especially hard to find if you’re looking for something, well, grander. Pagoda is one of those words that are applied in English (though often not in their native languages) to anything from a small person-sized pillar to a massive complex of buildings in a temple. This one is definitely on the small end of the scale. It’s a nine-tiered structure about 10-11 feet high.

At first, it might seem a somewhat random place to put a Japanese Pagoda. But if you visit at the right time in the spring you’ll see why it’s there. It’s right in the middle of the thousands of cherry blossoms that were, themselves, originally gifts from Japan.

It might look relatively plain, but like the Japanese Lantern, not far away, it’s actually very old, dating back to around 1600. It’s made of 3,800 pounds of granite.

It was given to Washington DC by the mayor of Yokohama in 1957, but when it arrived it in five crates, it didn’t include any instructions on how to reassemble it. Area experts from the Library of Congress and elsewhere were eventually able to assemble it.¹

It was given in the spirit of friendship to commemorate of a peace treaty in Yokohama (also known as the Convention of Kanagawa) on March 31, 1854, which U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to sign under the threat of naval attack.

The structure is composed of five distinct symbols, from bottom to top: earth, water, fire, wind, and sky. There are some weathered and worn carvings on the tower’s base. The main plaque on the base reads:

May this pagoda symbolize the spirit of friendship between the United States of America and Japan manifested in the treaty of peace, amity and commerce signed at Yokohama oj March 31, 1854, by the plenipotentiaries of the two countries.

Another plaque on the opposite side reads:

Presented to the City of Washington from Ryozo Hiranuma, Mayor of Yokohama, 1957.

Photos of the Japanese Pagoda

James M. Goode, Washington Sculpture: A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation’s Capital (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008) p. 497. ↩

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Washington DC’s Cherry Blossoms

September 7, 2015 By David Coleman Leave a Comment

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Every spring, nearly 1,700 Cherry Blossom trees lining Washington DC’s Tidal Basin burst into color in a beautiful display of floral fireworks. But the peak bloom period lasts only a few days, and precisely when it happens varies each year. This site brings together information about visiting the cherry blossoms and Washington DC, peak bloom forecasts, and up-to-date photos so that you can plan your own visit or follow along from afar.

I now have a special section of this site dedicated specifically to the cherry blossoms. You can find much more detail there, including information about the peak bloom forecast and visitor guides.

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A Washington Winter Wonderland

February 16, 2015 By David Coleman Leave a Comment

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Washington DC might not get anywhere near as much snow as areas farther north, but a decent snowfall has a way of turning the city’s landmarks into a winter wonderland.

When we get big snowfalls they tend to be in January in February. The biggest snowstorm on record, known as the Knickerbocker Storm, was in late-January 1922. More recently, some of the biggest have come in late-January 2016 (dubbed by locals as Snowzilla), and double-whammy winter storms just before Christmas in 2009 (Snowpocalypse) and followed about six weeks later by an even bigger storm in early February 2010 (Snowmageddon).

Due to a confluence of factors, including that the DC area doesn’t have the infrastructure and snow budgets of some snowier regions, as well as a large portion of the very large population relying on above-ground transportation on roads and rail, even relatively minor snowstorms can have a crippling effect.

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Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial

May 10, 2013 By David Coleman

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The Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial (often called just the Navy Marine Memorial in its signage) is dedicated to Americans in the US Navy and US Merchant Marine who lost their life at sea in World War I.

Cast in aluminum–an innovation at the time–the main sculpture stands 35 feet tall and was dedicated in 1934.

The rather beautiful and evocative sculpture by Ernesto Begni del Piatta was originally designed to sit on a large base of polished green granite, but the original fundraising effort came up short, so it ended up on a bland concrete base instead, later replaced with a lower quality green granite base.¹

The main part of the monument is surrounded by a wide flower bed that becomes a sea of red tulips in the spring.

Appropriately, it sits on the banks of the Potomac. Although it looks like it should be considered Arlington–it’s along the the George Washington Memorial Parkway, is right next to the Pentagon, and you approach from Arlington–Columbia Island on which it stands, in Lady Bird Johnson Park, is technically part of Washington DC. The border between the two runs along the narrow channel separating Columbia Island from the mainland.

Photos of the Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial

Ultra High-Resolution Panorama

With this ultra-high resolution panorama of the Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial (1.36 gigapixels) you can zoom in significantly to view details.

Getting Here

The memorial is easily walkable from the Pentagon or the parking lots for the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove, Columbia Island Marina, or Gravelly Point. You can also walk there from Hains Point by walking over the 14th Street Bridge and turning right.

For Photographers

The memorial is accessible day and night (although not illuminated at night). There’s no problem using flash or a tripod.

Along with anything else in the George Washington Memorial Parkway, commercial shoots and filming require a permit.

More Photos

You can find more of my photos of the Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial here, available for licensing.

James M. Goode, Washington Sculpture: A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation’s Capital (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008), 700. ↩

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Iwo Jima Memorial

May 1, 2013 By David Coleman

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The Iwo Jima Memorial is the world’s largest bronze statue. It’s adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery on the Rosslyn (northern) side. The statue itself is a photo cast in bronze, being based on the famous and controversial photo Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal of the flag raising on Mount Suribachi. Each of its six Marines stand 32 feet high.

Local tip: Its formal name is the Marine Corps War Memorial, but most locals know it as the Iwo Jima Memorial. Both names are used on various signs around the area.

On Tuesday evenings in the summer, the Marine Corps Washington Barracks puts on a Sunset Parade by the Drum and Bugle Corps and the Silent Drill Team. More information is available here.

Photos of the Iwo Jima Memorial

Getting Here

The Iwo Jima Memorial is accessible from 6am to midnight every day. You can wander freely in all 360 degrees around the Memorial. It’s illuminated at night.

There are a couple of dozen parking spots within the grounds of the memorial itself and there is often some parking on the street in the neighborhood around the Iwo Jima Memorial. You can also park at Arlington National Cemetery and walk across.

The nearest Metro stations are either the Rosslyn stop (0.5 miles) on the Blue/Orange line or Arlington National Cemetery stop (0.8 miles) on the Blue line. It’s a 10-15 minute walk from both. The walk from and through Arlington National Cemetery is more scenic (and you can ride the shuttle bus back), but slightly longer. The Washington Metro Trip Planner is very handy for working out how to get from A to B on Washington’s public transport.

Official Website

http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/learn/historyculture/usmcwarmemorial.htm

For Photographers

You won’t have a problem taking photos for personal use. For special use photography and filming, permits are $50 and up and available here. There’s no problem using a tripod or flash.

More Photos of the Iwo Jima Memorial

You can find more of my photos of the Iwo Jima Memorial here.

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Simon Bolivar Statue

April 28, 2013 By David Coleman

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There’s more than one commemoration of Simon Bolivar in Washington. This is the largest. It’s in a small park in front of the Department of the Interior building in Foggy Bottom.

Simon Bolivar was a Venezuelan political leader and Latin American revolutionary who played a role in the liberation of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and, of course, Bolivia.

The bronze statue, formally titled Equestrian of Simón Bolívar, was unveiled in 1958 as a gift from the Venezuelan government. It was designed by Felix de Weldon, who also designed the Iwo Jima Memorial. It weighs 8 tons and is 27 feet from base to tip of the sword, making it one of the largest equestrian statues in the United States (although it’s still a lot smaller than the Iwo Jima Memorial). It was cast in New York and transported to Washington DC in 5 pieces.¹