In Full Bloom: Still Photographs of Cherry Blossoms

by Heather Sulier, posted in Photographs, Still Pictures, Washington D.C.
Original Caption: Cherry Blossoms at the Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC. April 1975.
(Local ID: 111-CC-96905)

For more than a hundred years, we have celebrated cherry blossoms blooming along the Tidal Basin. First planted in 1912, the cherry trees were a gift of friendship to the People of the United States from the People of Japan.

Here in the Still Picture Branch at the National Archives, we have many photographs within our holdings that show the beauty of the cherry trees throughout the years. Not able to make it to the Tidal Basin this year for peak bloom? No worries! In celebration of this year’s peak bloom, we have put together some of our favorite images related to the famous trees.

Community Center Marchers in the First Annual Cherry Blossom Festival parade, Washington, DC. April 20, 1934. (Local ID: 111-SC-100707, NAID: 329585805)
Lantern Slides of Japanese Cherry Blossoms
Left Image: Local ID: 79-LS-17-7-C, NAID: 183515405
Right Image: Local ID: 79-LS-15-6-B, NAID: 183515346
“Airscapes” Washington D.C. – Cherry Blossoms, Taken April 16, 1931. (Local ID: 18-AA-144-5, NAID: 68152587)
Original Caption: WAVES take sightseeing tour of Washington, DC. Examining Cherry Blossoms by Potomac with Jefferson Memorial in background.
(Left Local ID: 80-GK-13754, Right Local ID: 80-GK-13755)
Yokota members enjoy a spring walk through base housing under a canopy of exploding cherry blossoms; one of the pleasures to be enjoyed during a tour in Japan. August 1, 1999. (Local ID: 330-CFD-DF-SD-02-07507.jpeg, NAID: 6522878)
Cherry Blossom Time at Potomac Park, Washington, D.C., 1927 (Local ID: 111-SC-99353, NAID: 329582172)
Original Caption: Sightseeing in Japan – GI’s preparing camera for snapping pictures of two Japanese girls under cherry blossom trees. Hakone, Japan. April 25, 1948. (Local ID: 111-C-4931)
Crowd and traffic conditions during Cherry Blossom Season
Left Image: Taken April 13, 1947. (Local ID: 30-N-47-708, NAID: 234116691)
Right Image: Taken April 2, 2010. (Local ID: 412_DSP_WashingtonDC_023.jpg, NAID: 5997928)
Scenes from the Cherry Blossoms, Washington, DC. (Local ID: 412-EPD-mediaPSA0009.jpg, NAID: 7870002)
Japanese flag framed by cherry blossoms. October 17, 1984. (Local ID: 330-CFD-DN-ST-85-00833.jpeg, NAID: 6395866)
Cherry Blossom Banners at Archives 1, April 11, 2014. (Local ID: 64-CFDA-20140411-02, NAID: 286212956)

Interested in seeing more Cherry Blossoms? Check out the National Archives Catalog to search for more! You can also checkout more of our blogs on Cherry Blossoms for more content!

Sources:

The photographs included in this post have no known copyright restrictions. If you have any questions about the images in this post or the holdings of the Still Picture Branch, please contact us at  stillpix@nara.gov.

PUBLICATION OF PHOTOGRAPHS FURNISHED BY THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES STILL PICTURE BRANCH-RRSS

Generally, copies of photographic records held by the National Archives may be published without special permission or additional fees. The National Archives does not grant exclusive or non-exclusive publication privileges. Copies of Federal records, as part of the public domain, are equally available to all. A small percentage of photographs in our holdings are or may be subject to copyright restrictions. The National Archives does not confirm the copyright status of photographs but will provide any information known about said status. It is the user’s responsibility to obtain all necessary clearances. Any use of these items is made at the researcher’s or purchaser’s own risk.

Proper credit lines are encouraged in the interest of good documentation. They also help inform the public about government photographic resources that are available.

*Because so many of our requests for information cite credits and captions that appear in published works, the inclusion of a photo number in hard copy and electronic publications is of great assistance to both us and the public.

Examples of preferred credit lines are as follows:

  • National Archives photo no. 210-G-C241
  • Credit National Archives (photo no. 83-G-41368)
  • Courtesy National Archives, photo no. 83-G-41430
  • National Archives (210-G-A14)

If using a large number of our images, the National Archives will appreciate receiving copies of publications that contain our photographs. Such copies can be sent to the Still Picture Branch or the Library, National Archives and Records Administration.