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April 1865. "Washington, District of Columbia. Sanitary Commission storehouse and adjoining houses at 15th and F Streets N.W." Wet plate glass negative, photographer unknown. View full size.
Below is the same view from May of 2016.
I got curious and just for fun used PaintShop Pro to lighten the various window openings in the photo just to see if I could see anything inside the building. In the lower window next to the door there appears to be a man sitting there, wearing cap, head down as if he's working at a desk:
http://www.corgifan.com/forum/04158au.jpg
Might just be shadows but these windows in time on Shorpy do fire the imagination.
Why are four of the cellar doors open? Would that have been typical on a work day, or was it for a particular reason this day - like for a delivery, coal perhaps?
Thanks for pointing out the blocks and gangplanks - one of those everyday things of the past you never stop to think about today.
Note the Treasury Department in the far right of the frame.
Note the stone blocks and gangplanks at the curb for stepping into and out of a carriage.
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