Anacostia Pharmacy, 1945

This work depicts the Anacostia Pharmacy, which served the health and wellness needs of neighborhood residents from 1941–1983. The painting, created in 1967, captures the pharmacy’s heyday as a gathering place and a focal point of community-building efforts. The viewer is situated across the street from the pharmacy on Nichols (now Martin Luther King) Avenue, looking into the windows festively decorated with Christmas trees. Advertisements for “Coca-Cola” and “soda” appear next to signs reading “Drug” and “Prescriptions,” evidence the business’ various social and medical functions. Owner and pharmacist Charles E. “Doc” Qualls created a space where young and old alike could gather and share neighborhood news.