Washington Monument from Potomac River, Washington, D.C., 1918

Subjects: Monuments & Memorials Rivers & Streams
Card type: Lithograph
Date: c. 1918 (White Border)

Back of Washington Monument from Potomac River, Washington, D.C., 1918, c. 1918 lithograph postcard — Back

About this postcard

The Washington Monument rises above a line of trees on the Potomac River, its obelisk reflected in the water and its pale marble set against a tinted sky. By 1918 the monument had been a Washington landmark for a generation; construction began in 1848 and finished in the 1880s after a long pause. Earl writes to his sister in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, after climbing to the top and counts about nine hundred steps.

Postcard Details

Message · English, in pen

Dear Sister. This is some distance up in the air Just got through going to the top of it there are about nine hundred steps to walk before you get to the top. Earl.

PublisherB. S. Reynolds Co.

Washington Monument from Potomac River, Washington, D. C. The Washington Monument at Washington is a stupendous shaft of granite, 555 feet 5 and 1-8 inches in height. It is 55 feet square at the base, 34 feet at the top, and terminates in a pyramid of pure aluminum. The foundation of rock and cement is 36 feet deep, 126 feet square. The cornerstone was laid in 1848. The Monument was finished in 1885. It is the highest work of masonry in the world.

PostmarkedWashington, DC, December 15, 1918, 23:00

Addressed to

Elizabeth Maurer

Boyertown, PA

Postcard record

Postmarked	December 15, 1918, 23:00, Washington, DC
Publisher	B. S. Reynolds Co.
Series	679e
Condition	Good
Place addressed	Elizabeth Maurer, Boyertown, PA
Place depicted	Washington Monument, Washington, DC
Place depicted	Potomac River
Stamp	2c George Washington, red, issued 1902
Stamp	2c George Washington, red, perforated on all sides
Notes	White border; printed series 679e at lower left; surface scuffs and edge wear. Postmark: WASHINGTON D.C. DEC 15 1918 11 - PM. Divided-back white-border card with color litho view; light edge wear, toning, and a pencil dealer price 750 at top right.

Cite this card

Washington Monument from Potomac River, Washington, D.C., 1918, postcard, c. 1918. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/washington-monument-from-potomac-river-washington-d-c-1918. Accessed November 2, 2026.