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The cherry blossoms through history A look back at blooms at Washington’s Tidal Basin, from the Library of Congress’s archives.
Japanese cherry trees, planted between 1910 and 1920 as a gift from Herbert A. French, are seen in 1947.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
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1919
Visitors look at the Tidal Basin blossoms.
April 7, 1922
Photographers snap photos of cherry blossoms near the Tidal Basin.
National Photo Company Collection
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Library of Congress
April 7, 1922
Visitors explore the cherry blossoms.
Between 1909 and 1932
Emma Stitt, Virginia Edwards, Cecil L. Jones and Alice Milburn stroll under the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin.
1934
Japanese cherry blossoms are seen at night with special illumination in Washington.
Theodor Horydczak Collection
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Library of Congress
April 8, 1937
Sakiko Saito, daughter of the Japanese ambassador, is crowned Queen of the Cherry Blossoms by Melvin Hazen, commissioner of the District. The festival was held to celebrate the anniversary of the presentation of the Japanese cherry trees to the capital by the residents of Tokyo.
Circa 1939
A girl plays in the cherry blossoms.
March 28, 1939
Peggy Townsend, who was about to be crowned Queen of the Cherry Blossoms in a ceremony, is caught by photographers as she arrives to preview the blooms.
March 29, 1939
Peggy Townsend, who was about to be crowned Cherry Blossom Queen at the festival, picked out a cherry tree to get her first glimpse of the beautiful blossoms in Potomac Park.
Harris & Ewing
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Library of Congress
Between 1909 and 1940
Trucks parked next to the cherry blossoms.
March 1943
A new Tidal Basin bridge is seen under construction in Washington. The famous cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin could be viewed from a new angle after the million-dollar bridge across the Tidal Basin was completed. The bridge connects Independence Avenue with the Potomac River Highway above 15th Street.
Roger Smith
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Office of War Information, Library of Congress
March 1943
A new Tidal Basin bridge is seen under construction in Washington. Construction of the bridge gave cherry-blossom gawkers a new angle in which to view the trees.
Roger Smith
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Office of War Information, Library of Congress
April 9, 1944
Cherry blossoms team up with perfect weather to bring out thousands of sightseers in their Easter fineries who stroll or rest beneath a canopy of cherry blossom branches along the Tidal Basin in Washington.
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AP
April 12, 1947
Sightseers view the cherry blossom branches in Washington.
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Goodwin
March 18, 1950
Thirteen princesses for Washington’s 11th annual Cherry Blossom Festival line up at National Airport to greet the Cherry Blossom Silver Liner, an Eastern Air Lines' plane that toured the lines' routes to publicize Washington’s gala event. From left, front row, are: Ann Rhodes of Florida; Barbara Freeman of Illinois; Patricia Kiermas of Wisconsin; Alma Allen of Tennessee; Helen Ruth Polk of Ohio; Diana Sanderfer of Texas; Betty Ann McDermott of New Jersey; Margaret Adair of New Mexico. Back row: Barbara Jean Potts of Arkansas; Roberta Eleanor McQuade of Massachusetts; Sally Willie of Mississippi; Martha Louise Smith of Idaho and Janice Palmer of North Dakota.
Del Ankers
April 9, 1950
Those in traffic near the Jefferson Memorial have a view of the cherry blossoms.
Lartz
April 8, 1951
A view of the cherry blossoms from the road near the Jefferson Memorial.
Rohland
April 6, 1951
A group of cherry blossom princesses in Washington for the Cherry Blossom Festival are shown as they visited the Tidal Basin with their bicycles. From left: Martha Carolyn Ezell of West Virginia, Ruth Jo Anne Aspinall of Colorado, Joan Claire Spayde of Maryland and Virginia Edna Bender of Ohio.
Gratis Photo
April 6, 1965
First lady Lady Bird Johnson plants a cherry tree near the Japanese lantern at the Tidal Basin. From left: Mame Takeuchil, Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall (with umbrella), the first lady, Mark Evans and the Japanese ambassador.
Robert McNamara
April 7, 1965
Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who spoke for the United States at the ceremonies opening the Cherry Blossom Festival, greets a group of Japanese spectators.
Photo by McNamara
1999
An aerial view of Washington during Cherry Blossom Festival time.
Carol M. Highsmith
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Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
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