The Scurlock Studio Exhibit at the NMAH

The National Museum of American History has an incredible photography exhibit through February of 2010.

The Scurlocks were local photographers who chronicled African American life in Washington DC. The exhibit covers about eighty years of DC history.

The photographs are beautifully done. Particularly impressive was an overhead shot of a ballroom from the thirties or forties. I don't know how they got that shot with that old equipment.

Of course, there were plenty of pictures of famous people (Martin Luther King to Marian Anderson), but it was the shots of everyday life that I really loved.

Also, there is a spot in the exhibit where locals can write down their DC memories and they post some up on a board. My favorite was the woman who talked about how nylon stockings used to last six months when they first came out, but how they make them like crap now. (My words, but the sentiment is the same.)

If you can't make it to the museum, you can see quite a few of the photos online.