Explore more than 2,800 photos of local life in the 1980s and 1990s.
The Charlie Clark Center for Local History has digitized a fascinating new collection documenting Arlington life from the late 1980s through the 1990s: PG 216: Photographs from the Arlington Courier, 1988–1997.
Originally published as “Arlington’s premier weekly newspaper,” the Arlington Courier captured the people, politics, schools, businesses and moments that shaped the County during a period of major social and economic change. The newly digitized collection includes photographs published by the newspaper—as well as many never published at all—between 1988 and 1997.
And there are some remarkable finds.
Among the newly available images are photographs of the AIDS Quilt displayed in Washington, D.C. in 1987; Civil Rights icon Jesse Jackson speaking at Washington-Liberty High School, then known as Washington-Lee High School; and Hillary Clinton visiting students at Long Branch Elementary School.
The collection also offers more intimate glimpses into Arlington history, including an interview with Civil Rights advocate Joan Stanley in her home, photographs of longtime Arlington County Board member Charles Monroe—who previously had very few images available online—and a portrait of Sara Collins, founder of the Center for Local History itself.
Other notable figures include Sister Marie Majella Berg of Marymount University, Arlington County Schools Superintendent Robert Chisolm and Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe owners Carla and Wolfgang Büchler.
Beyond the recognizable names, the collection captures everyday Arlington: school events, community gatherings, local businesses, elected officials and slices of County life that might otherwise have been lost to time. Many of the photographs even retain the original cropping marks used by the Courier’s editors before publication.
The collection was donated to the Center for Local History in 2002 and spans roughly 2.5 linear feet of photographs and negatives.
We’ve only scratched the surface of what’s inside. Explore the collection and let us know in the comments what surprising people, places or moments you discover.
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