For a century, spring in Washington has meant cherry blossoms, thanks to a gift from Japan as it emerged from centuries of isolation. Heres a look back at how the annual spectacle began and what it’s meant over the years–as seen in a new book from National Geographic.
Reprinted with permission of the National Geographic Society from “Cherry Blossoms: The Official Book of the National Cherry Blossom Festival” by Ann McClellan; photographs by Ron Blunt. Copyright © 2012 by the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
This article appears in the April 2012 issue of The Washingtonian.