Washington, D.C.
AA-2026-780582
On the image
Somebody told these two that visiting the nation's capital called for a topcoat and a serious expression, and they took the advice literally. One has gone the extra step of adding a hat, the kind of accessory that by the 1960s was already becoming a costume rather than a habit, worn here specifically because a man ought to look like something in front of the Capitol dome.
The other keeps his hands folded in front of him like a boy at a funeral, which was the standard-issue pose for anyone unsure what to do with his arms while being documented next to a national monument. Neither man is looking at the building behind him, because the building was never really the point. The point was proving, to whoever would look at this later, that they had once stood on that lawn and had their picture taken to show for it.
The historian's note
The dome shown is the United States Capitol, seat of the U.S. Congress since the building's completion phases in the nineteenth century, photographed here from the West Front lawn facing the Mall. By the 1960s the Capitol grounds were a standard stop for visitors to Washington, D.C., part of a well-established civic-tourism circuit that included the White House and the Smithsonian buildings.
Casual portraits of visitors posed against the dome were common through this period, typically made by a traveling companion rather than a professional photographer, and served as personal proof of a trip rather than as documentary record. The overcoats and formal dress reflect the era's convention of presentable public attire, particularly for men photographed in a governmental or civic setting.
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Two Men in Overcoats Before the U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C., 1960s. 1960–1969. Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library, AA-2026-780582. https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/two-men-in-overcoats-before-the-u-s-capitol-washington-d-c-1960s.
@misc{aaAA2026780582,
title = {Two Men in Overcoats Before the U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C., 1960s},
year = {1960–1969},
howpublished = {Archive \& Atlas, Historical Image Library},
note = {Accession AA-2026-780582},
url = {https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/two-men-in-overcoats-before-the-u-s-capitol-washington-d-c-1960s}
}TY - ART TI - Two Men in Overcoats Before the U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C., 1960s PY - 1960–1969 PB - Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library AN - AA-2026-780582 UR - https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/two-men-in-overcoats-before-the-u-s-capitol-washington-d-c-1960s ER -
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