Union Station a Decorative History of Washington's Grand Terminal

by Carol M. Highsmith, Ted Landphair

Railroads were king in l903, and Union Station in Washington, D.C. was an imperial transportation palace. From its grandeum to its dowdy decline and second coming, this is Union Station's story. Prominent Washington architectural photographer Carol M. Highsmith spent parts of five years documenting the pathetic dilapidation, and the painstaking rehabilitation, of this titanic building in the l980s. Other collections produced memorable and historic photographs as well. As the long and tortuous life of Daniel Burnham's transporation palace unfolds in these pages, Union A Decorative History may serve as its own preservationist's tool, keeping grand memories alive.

103 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1988

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's not a lot out there about Union Station, so maybe this is the best of what there is. But it lacked a lot of depth (more photos, please!), and the ordering of the chapters seemed very random -- sometimes chronology ruled, sometimes not.