Analysis of Then and Now

Page Description

This page is where much of the analysis is going to be done. Here it be possible to see the before and after of the images that were taken during the depression and today. Also, image analysis conclusions will start to be made about the effects of the sites today. This, while not meant to be the "final page" is a great segway into the "Legacy and Lasting Impact" Page. 

Then and Now: The West Wing

One can see using the Juxtapose tool how different the access to the West Wing is. Before we had care pakred outside of the building. Now parking a car that close is only for police or highly trusted individuals. This goes into how different the West Wing is today. The core message of it being a main office for the President no longer completely true. Also, there is an icredible disconnect from the citiziens of the country and the Oval Office due to the heavy police presence. 

Then and Now: The Post Office Building:

Inside the building has had remodeling which has largely changed the orginal message. A large number of items and furniture is now gold to represent wealth in the Trump Orginization. This is, while not immediantly negative, has corporate implications which has been known to feelings of greed and seperation. This shows how different the two photos are. One shows union through connecting the nation, the other shows simple wealth and power. 

Then and Now: Recorder of Deeds

These murals, out of all the sites in this page, most likely have the greates message of them all. It is meant to signify a place where African Americans have had significant impact. A champion for civil rights like Frederick Douglass employed there and the murals themselves were painted by incredible African American artists. Today, they are somewhat lost as a their original message still stands hidden. The murals themselves are locked away inside a building that is really not accessible anymore. Using the Juxtapose tool one is able to see how the "before" is the actual mural, while the "after" is only a plaque. While it is easy to say that the original message has been preserved using the mural it is not as effective as the murals themselves. Having the murals shown and preserved would be far more effective at preserving the message they carried in the New Deal.

Then and Now: Central Heating Plant

It is very easy to notice how similar the before and after of this image is nearly the same. This is incredably fortunate as that means that most of the original intention for this site is still intact. The intended effect of this building was to try and provide power to thousands of homes in the D.C. area. This message has been preserved incredably well. Visualy the building sitll looks similar. Only diverting in some small modernizations. But, even with this the machinery is still much like the original. Much of the hardware used today is still much like or even the same as it once was in the 1930's.

Credits for this Page:

U.S. General Service Administration (2009) "Central Heating Plant, Washington, DC" United States Government Retrieved: https://www.gsa.gov/historic-buildings/old-post-office-washington-dc

U.S. General Service Administration (2019) "Old Post Office, Washington, DC" United States Government Retrieved: https://www.gsa.gov/historic-buildings/old-post-office-washington-dc

Butler, S. A. (2011) "Ground Breaking in New Deal Washington, DC: Art, Patronage, and Race at the Recorder of Deeds Building" (pp. 277-320) The University of Chicago Press Journals Retrieved: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/663159?seq=6#metadata_info_tab_contents 

National Mall (2019) "Lockkeeper's House" Trust for the National Mall Retrieved: https://www.nationalmall.org/lockkeepershouse

Atlas Obscura (2019) "The Lockkeeper's House" AO Group Retrieved: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/canal-lockkeepers-house

Living New Deal Map (2018) "Recorder of Deeds Building - Washington D.C." The Living New Deal Retrieved: https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/recorder-of-deeds-building-washington-dc/

The White House Historical Association (2019) "The East and West Wings of the White House" The White House (US Government) Retrieved: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-east-and-west-wings-of-the-white-house

Smithsonian Institution (2019) Government of the United States