Historic inauguration photos discovered on eBay

Through eBay, the D.C. Council discovered a cache of 108-year-old photo negatives, depicting the inaugural parade of President William Howard Taft, the Wilson Building, and a blizzard that occurred in 1909.

The photo negatives were previously owned by Ambrose Swasey, an engineer who specialized in the development of astronomical instruments, according to the D.C. Council website. The photographer or photographers behind the negatives are unknown.

For those interested in taking a look at these photos, which haven’t been revealed in a century, they will be displayed in an exhibit on the ground floor atrium of the Wilson Building, located at 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The D.C. Council website also offers in-depth information on the history behind these photos.

• Century-Old Negatives Discovered, Depicting Taft Inauguration, Brand-New Wilson Building, Blizzard [D.C. Council]