Browse Items (993 total)
- Collection: Chester Smolski Photographs
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Washington Capitol
A view of the expansive United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C. The Capitol building covers approximately four acres of land and is host to 3-5 million visitors every year. First built in 1793, the home of the Senate and House of…
Population Clock: November 18th, 1971
The population clock recording the number of births, deaths, immigrants and emigrants to the United States. The population clock reads 208,340,106 people: “An additional American every 14 1/2 seconds”.
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument, the most prominent fixture in the D.C. skyline, was completed in 1884 in honor of the first American president, George Washington. The monument stands over 555 ft tall and offers views over thirty miles. A design competition…
White House - North Side
The White House has served as the home for the American Presidents and their families for more than 200 years. The first cornerstone was laid in 1792, and the building was completed around 1800. George Washington commissioned the construction of the…
Pennsylvania Avenue - Washington D.C.
Pennsylvania Avenue leads to the White House, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. The road referred to as “America’s Main Street” is often host to parades and protest marches. Pennsylvania Avenue was one of the first roads created…
Aerial of a Planned Community
An aerial view of a planned community. Planned communities became popular in the 1960s throughout the United States. Planned communities typically made deliberate use of land that was previously unoccupied.
Planned Community
An aerial view of a planned community. Planned communities became popular in the 1960s throughout the United States. Planned communities typically made deliberate use of land that was previously unoccupied.
Aerial View of Middleton
An aerial view over Middletown, Rhode Island. The building with the large lot is Newport Grand Jai Alai, shortened to Newport Grand, a casino. The photo shows development along Route 138, just outside of Newport.
Aerial of Newport Harbor
An aerial view of Newport Harbor and waterfront in Newport, Rhode Island. Long Wharf, to the right, and Goat Island, the slender island just offshore, are located on the western side of island. The shipping industry has a long history in Newport,…
Hirshhorn Museum
The Hirshhorn Museum Sculpture Garden, a Smithsonian institution, is an architectural landmark in Washington D.C. The garden added to the architectural significance, featuring sculptural pieces in the grounds surrounding the museum.
(date of…
George Washington Monument
A distant view of the Washington Monument from the National Mall, a public national park. The Washington Monument, the most prominent fixture in the D.C. skyline, was completed in 1886.
(date of photograph has been approximated)
From Capitol Steps and Mall
The view from the Capitol steps overlooks the National Mall and the George Washington Monument. The plan for the National Mall began at the very end of the 18th century with the vision of Pierre Charles L’Enfant. Many years and political events,…
Washington D.C. Cityscape
A distant view of the Washington D.C. cityscape. The Washington Monument, the most prominent fixture in the D.C. skyline, was completed in 1886.
The Smithsonian Institute
The original home of the Smithsonian Institute was built by architect James Renwick, Jr. The Romanesque style building, referred to as the “Castle”, is located on the National Mall in Washington and was commissioned in 1846. The structure was built…
Washington Circle - Washington D.C.
The George Washington Equestrian Statue stands at the center of Washington Circle. The bronze statue depicts George Washington on horseback fighting the 1776 Battle of Princeton. Clark Mills sculpted the Washington Circle statue, as well as another…
Demolition of Old Buildings in Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. began a plan to revitalize the city shortly after World War II. The rapid population growth following the war inspired a suburban sprawl into the surrounding areas of Maryland and Virginia. As buildings in downtown D.C. fell to…
L’Enfant Plaza
L’Enfant Plaza in Washington D.C. is a complex of several commercial and government buidlings. “La Promenade” shopping mall is also a part of the plaza. Named for Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the man responsible for the design and plan of Washington…
HUD Headquarters - Washington D.C.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters located in Washington, D.C. The Department of Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 created the Housing and Urban Development agency, or HUD under President Lyndon Johnson. The HUD…
Quaker War Protesters at the White House
Quakers sit in protest of the Vietnam War outside of the north portico of the White House. Although the Quakers had a long history of promoting peace, it was not until Clarence Pickett of the American Society of Friends founded the National Committee…
Iwo Jima Memorial
The Marine Corps War Memorial stands as a symbol of this grateful Nation's esteem for the honored dead of the U.S. Marine Corps. While the statue depicts one of the most famous incidents of World War II, the memorial is dedicated to all Marines who…
Lafayette Park - Washington D.C.
Lafayette Park, or Lafayette Square, is a seven acre public park located in Washington D.C. Lafayette Park is directly across from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. Originally part of the White House grounds, Pennsylvania Avenue bisected what…
Queensboro Bridge from Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island is located between Manhattan and Queens in the East River. The Queensboro Bridge crosses over the island, pictured at the left of the photo. Roosevelt Island has had many names over the years and once served as grounds for a state…
The Rouse Company - Columbia, Maryland
The Rouse Company, a development firm headed by James Rouse, is responsible for the creation of Columbia, Maryland. The community consists of ten self-contained villages which were established in the late 1960s.
(date of photograph has been…
Lake Kittamaqundi and the “People Tree” Sculpture
The Tree of Life sculpture, commonly referred to as the “People Tree”, is the symbol of Columbia, Maryland. The People Tree is located next to The Rouse Company headquarters (the large building in the background) along the bank of Lake…
The “People Tree” Sculpture
The Tree of Life sculpture, commonly referred to as the “People Tree”, is the symbol of Columbia Maryland. The community consists of ten self-contained villages which were established in the late 1960s by The Rouse Company, a development firm…
Columbia Mall
An interior photograph of the Columbia Mall in Columbia Maryland displays the glass ceiling that creates an atrium effect for shoppers. The globe-shaped lanterns are repeated on the mall’s exterior walks.
The Mall in Columbia is part of a planned…
The Mall in Columbia - Columbia, Maryland
An interior photograph of the Columbia Mall in Columbia Maryland displays the glass ceiling that creates an atrium effect for shoppers. The globe-shaped lanterns are repeated on the mall’s exterior walks.
The Mall in Columbia is part of a planned…
Boston - Waterfront and Downtown
Boston’s downtown skyline and harbor are picture here in 1979. Boston harbor has been a hub for the shipping industry for centuries, beginning in the late 1600s with the boom of ship building in the colonies.
Boston - East from the Prudential
An aerial of Boston taken from the Prudential Skywalk Observatory at the top of the Prudential Tower.
Faneuil Hall Aerial at Night
An aerial view of the historic Faneuil Hall marketplace, Quincy Market, and surrounding buildings.
(date of photograph has been approximated)
Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market - Boston
Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, historic Boston landmarks, fell into disrepair in the mid 1900s. The buildings were tagged for demolition until concerned residents banded together to save them in the early 1970s. The historic buildings have since…
Boston - South from the Prudential
An Aerial view of Boston from the Skywalk Observatory, located on the 60th floor of the Prudential Tower.
Hancock Building from the Capitol - Boston
As the tallest building in Boston, the John Hancock Tower is one of the most recognizable pieces of architecture in the skyline. The tower is located in Copley Place where its stands alone, away from the downtown high-rises. The tower was built by…
Kings Chapel - Boston
King’s Chapel is an Anglican congregation that was organized in 1686. King’s Chapel was a small wooden chapel located on the corner of Tremont and School streets in Boston. Construction of King’s Chapel “Stone Chapel” began in 1749 and was…
Prudential Center - Boston, Massachusetts
Seen here in a vertical photograph is the facade of the Prudential building in Boston, Massachusetts. The tower consists of 52 floors of office space built in 1964. The Prudential tower is part of a complex referred to as the Prudential Center…
Faneuil Hall
The Samuel Adams Statue and Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. The historic building was originally a market built in 1742 by Peter Faneuil. Town hall meetings were held at Faneuil Hall between 1764 and 1774. It was during the town hall…
Boston City Hall
Boston City Hall is the centerpiece of Government Center which consists of both commercial and civic buildings. Construction began on the site in 1963 and was completed in 1969. Kallman, McKinnell and Knowles designed the building. The architects…
Boston Commercial Wharf MHFA
The Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency was a quasi-public housing agency in the Boston area. Now operating under the name MassHousing, the company is an independent, not-for-profit real estate and development agency specializing in low-income…
Aerial of Boston along the Charles River
Smolski captures an aerial view of Boston along the Charles River in 1966.
Fisherman’s Memorial - Land’s End
The Fisherman’s Memorial Statue at Land’s End on Bailey Island in Maine. The statue bears the inscription, "to all Maine Fisherman who have devoted their lives to the sea” in honor of the state’s lobster fisherman. The statue is a replica of the…
Faulkner Ridge - Columbia, Maryland
Faulkner Ridge is one of the neighborhoods in the Wilde Lake village of Columbia, Maryland. The planned community of Columbia was designed by The Rouse Company in the late 1960s. The community consists of ten self-contained villages which are…
Columbia Mall Aerial
The Mall in Columbia is part of a planned community development in Columbia, Maryland. The community consists of ten self-contained villages which were established in the late 1960s by The Rouse Company, a development firm headed by James Rouse.…
University of Colorado - Boulder
The University of Colorado at Boulder has the Flatiron Mountains as a backdrop. This mountain range, consisting of five flatiron rock formations, is iconic for the city of Boulder and the university. Both the suburban campus and the state of…
Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine is located in the south coast region of the state. Portland is home to almost one quarter of Maine’s residents, and is known as the “metropolitan hub” of this region.
Mexico City - Palacio de Bellas Artes
The Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Palace of Fine Arts, in Mexico city was constructed in the early 1900s. President Porfirio Diaz wanted the building to commemorate Mexico’s independence from Spain. When a revolution broke out in 1910, construction…
Westerly- Weekapaug Beach
An aerial view of Misquamicut Beach in Westerly. Atlantic Avenue runs parallel to the shore line, which is lined with attractions. Hurricanes in 1938 and in the 1950’s permanently altered the landscape and destroyed much of the establishments.…
Block Island Airport
Block Island State Airport (BID) opened in 1950. It maintains scheduled service to Westerly State Airport, but is primarily used for general aviation. It is mostly used for single engine crafts, providing an alternative to the ferry as a connection…
Abandoned house for sale
An abandoned home for sale on Block Island. The only town on Block Island is New Shoreham, which at the 2000 census had a population of 1,010 people. Of those, about 7.9% live below the poverty line.
(date of photograph has been approximated)
Block Island statue and City Drug Store
The Block Island City Drug Store is located in the Old Harbor District of the island. The majority of the buildings and hotels in this district are painted white with cottage style details, reflecting the seaside resort style prominent in the…
Block Island Docks
The dock in the Old Harbor District of Block Island is the arrival port for the ferries that carry visitors and supplies to the Island, which is located just twelve miles off the southern coast of Rhode Island. Block Island saw a surge in…