Skip to main content
RETURN TO Return to WETA website Donate
Boundary Stones logo

Main navigation

  • Washington, D.C.
  • Maryland
  • Virginia
  • Video
  • About
Virginia

Capturing a Community: The Columbia Pike Documentary Project

11/08/2014 in Virginia by Mark Jones
  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email
Columbia Pike Plaza. (Photo source: Columbia Pike Documentary Project)
Columbia Pike Plaza. (Photo source: Columbia Pike Documentary Project)

Over the past several decades, Arlington's Columbia Pike corridor has grown into one of the most ethnically diverse communities in the nation. The neighborhood is literally home to the world, which makes it a fascinating subject for study. But how do you capture the essence of a community? It's a big question and one that Lloyd Wolf and his collaborators on the Columbia Pike Documentary Project have been trying to answer for almost 10 years.

We sat down with Wolf to learn more about the project. Check out the video below for some highlights from the conversation.

 

The Columbia Pike Documentary project started in 2007 as the brainchild of Wolf, his longtime collaborator Paula Endo and her husband, Todd Endo, when they, "began to think that the Pike was something that was special and unusual and was deserving of attention." The group added several more photographers to the fold -- Duy Tran, Mimi Xang Ho and Aleksandra Lagkueva -- and set about photographing as many aspects of the Pike as they could, from buildings and places to people and faces. The end result is an extensive and incredible collection of images, which form the basis for an upcoming book and ongoing blog.

According to Wolf, "We have covered every building on the Pike more than once. Many, many of the businesses. People on the streets, people in their homes, people at festivals. Over quite a bit of time many things have been photographed multiple times like the blues festival, farmers markets, the Prio Bangla festival, Bolivian dancing, we've had a lot of. There's no one single part. The idea is to show what kind of community we're in and to be as fair to the community as possible. It's the faces and places, the physical aspect of the Pike, which is of interest because it's evolving as well as who lives there and how they live....

"There's several main goals for the project. There's not just one. It's to form a long term community record. It's to share the community with other communities that are similar. It's also to examine and, to some extent, promulgate the successful diversity on the Pike."

Last Updated:
01/26/2022

About the Author

Mark Jones has called the D.C. area home since he was three years old. As a child he enjoyed taking family trips to Colonial Williamsburg and impersonating historical figures for elementary school book reports. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in History from Davidson College and a Master's in History and New Media from George Mason University. Prior to coming to WETA, Mark worked as an interpreter for the National Park Service at Arlington House: The Robert E. Lee Memorial, where (much to the amusement of his friends) he wore the "Smokey the Bear" hat as part of his uniform and occasionally donned period clothes. (Photos are classified.)

More posts by Mark Jones »
Tags
Arlington
Columbia Pike
Photography
Arlington Historical Society

Share

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

You Might Also Like

  • Iconic Washington, D.C.

    Iconic Washington, D.C.

    The new documentary series #IconicAmericaPBS explores US history through national symbols. But what about iconic symbols of local history?

  • From Bolivia to Arlington

    Luis Araya immigrated to Arlington, Virginia from Bolivia in 1966, when very few Latinos lived in the county. He reflects on the changes he has seen.

  • Arlington's Little Saigon

    For about 10 years following the fall of Saigon in April 1975, Arlington, VA became a destination for Vietnamese immigrants fleeing communist rule.

Surprise Me!

Not sure where to start reading? Let us pick a story for you!

Categories

  • DC (575)
  • Maryland (108)
  • Virginia (150)

Latest Posts

This House, Undivided: Sarah Tracy’s Mount Vernon During the Civil War

06/02/2023

This House, Undivided: Sarah Tracy’s Mount Vernon During the Civil War

The Sordid Story of Dupont Circle's Underground Tunnels

05/26/2023

The Sordid Story of Dupont Circle's Underground Tunnels

Iconic Washington, D.C.

05/12/2023

Iconic Washington, D.C.

Most Popular

This House, Undivided: Sarah Tracy’s Mount Vernon During the Civil War

06/02/2023

This House, Undivided: Sarah Tracy’s Mount Vernon During the Civil War

The Sordid Story of Dupont Circle's Underground Tunnels

05/26/2023

The Sordid Story of Dupont Circle's Underground Tunnels

The Legend of the Bunny Man

10/31/2012

The Legend of the Bunny Man

Tags

1860s1870s1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990sAlexandriaArlingtonArtBlack HistoryBygone DCCivil WarGeorgetownSports HistoryWhite HouseWomen's HistoryWorld War IWorld War II
More
Historical D.C. Metro Map
Tweets by BoundaryStones
WETA

Footer menu

  • Support WETA
  • About WETA
  • Press Room
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • RSS
  • Accessibility

Contact Us

  • 3939 Campbell Avenue
    Arlington, VA 22206 | Map
  • 703-998-2600
  • boundarystones@weta.org

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

About Boundary Stones

Boundary Stones explores local history in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia. This project is a service of WETA and is supported by contributions from readers like you.

DONATE

Copyright © 2023 WETA. All Rights Reserved.

Bottom Footer

  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Guidelines