Photos of Boarding House Living in Washington, 1943

Below are some great photos of boarding house living in Washington during World War II. These photos were taken by Esther Bubley in January 1943.

Outside of a boardinghouse

Girl in the doorway of her room at a boardinghouse

Pearl Ginsburg refused to have her boardinghouse rent raised

The shower bath in a boardinghouse

A boardinghouse philosopher

Those who are not too modest save time by tripling up in the use of the boardinghouse bathroom

This girl met her husband at the boardinghouse. When he was drafted, she moved back into her old room. His pictures decorate the dresser and wall

The schedule for use of the boardinghouse bathroom is worked out so that each person has eight minutes in the morning. It is social suicide to ignore the schedule and cause a tie-up like this

An evening gathering in a boardinghouse

Two girls looking at pictures in their room in a boardinghouse

The proprieter of this boardinghouse watches the service at dinner

A clerk in the U.S. Navy Department reading in his room in a boardinghouse

(Photos by Esther Bubley, via Library of Congress)