Alexandria, Virginia, has been witness to events which helped create America. Many of the nation's founding fathers and well-known historical figures, including George Washington and Robert E. Lee, lived in, worked in, and were a part of the city. Though it started out as a modest tobacco trading town and seaport, Alexandria has truly been at the crossroads of American history. Its citizens are proud of Alexandria's place in history and its importance as a city steeped in the narrative of the founding of the United States.

Historic Photos of Alexandria depicts this colorful and varied history through still photos selected from the Library of Congress and the Local History Special Collections branch of the Alexandria Library. From the occupation of Alexandria by Union troops during the Civil War to the thriving downtown shopping and dining district of the 1940s and 1950s, Historic Photos of Alexandria follows life and events throughout the city's history.