This came from fairfaxunderground.com and I've seen it published in a Nat'l Geographic in the last 20 years.
Based on the destination signs, this is 1940s or earlier. I *think* that is a VA 7 shield but could be a VA 9 (VA 123's predecessor)...
I downloaded it and resized and sharpened it with Photoshop, and it sure
looks to me like a Va. 7 shield (just left of the utility pole in front of the store with the Coke sign), though I am not 100% certain (the location of the buildings would be consistent with the images in the 1964 image above).
Hoo, at the very right edge is a STOP sign (mounted on a white-and-black pole, once ubiquitous across Virginia).
I have seen this image well before it ran in the Geographic - I saw a copy on the wall of the offices of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority back in the 1980's, but I don't recall if that was a Va. 7 shield.
Was not aware that Va. 123 was once Va. 9 (and I never understood why a low number like 9 was assigned to a corner of Loudoun County).