Natural History Building, U.S. National Museum, Washington, D.C., circa 1940

Subject: Town & City Views
Card type: Linen
Date: c. 1930 (White Border)

Back of Natural History Building, U.S. National Museum, Washington, D.C., circa 1940, c. 1930 linen postcard — Back

About this postcard

The card shows the Natural History Building of the United States National Museum, a large Beaux-Arts structure with a central domed rotunda and a long colonnaded granite facade, seen across an expanse of lawn with trees at either side. Designed by Hornblower & Marshall and opened in 1910, it houses the Smithsonian's natural history collections and faces the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The linen-era coloring gives the sky a pink-and-blue sunset wash and the roof tiles a bright red.

Postcard Details

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PublisherCapitol Souvenir Company, Inc.

Natural History Building, U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C. C-225 (c) Capitol Souvenir Co., Inc. 83006 --- Facing the Smithsonian Institution Building on the opposite side of The Mall is the Natural History Building, U. S. National Museum, a four-story white granite structure built at a cost of $3,500,000. It contains the collections and laboratories of natural history, including biology, geology, ethnology, and archeology, and also the National Collection of Fine Arts. CAPITOL SOUVENIR COMPANY, INC., WASHINGTON 4, D. C. POST CARD PLACE STAMP HERE A CAPSCO PRODUCT

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Postcard record

Publisher	Capitol Souvenir Company, Inc.
Series	C-225
Condition	Very good
Notes	Linen-textured stock with a white border; printed card number C-225 and job number 83006 in the lower margin. No postmark or cancellation. Divided-back linen-era chrome postcard with printed descriptive text and publisher imprint; unused, no handwriting, no address. Slight edge/corner wear.

Cite this card

Natural History Building, U.S. National Museum, Washington, D.C., circa 1940, postcard, c. 1930. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/natural-history-building-u-s-national-museum-washington-d-c. Accessed October 24, 2026.