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Archive: July 2015 (5 Posts)

Smiling woman dressed in outdoor winter clothes holds a large, old-style camera

A Grand Entry: Entered According to Act of Congress

Posted by: Barbara Orbach Natanson

“Entered according to the act of Congress” sounds like a grand entry, indeed, and it’s a phrase we are often asked about because it appears near the bottom of many pictures. But what does it mean? Starting in 1802, that phrase was required by U.S. Copyright law to be on works for which a rights …

Smiling woman dressed in outdoor winter clothes holds a large, old-style camera

New Video Series on “Reading” Pictures: Every Photo is a Story

Posted by: Barbara Orbach Natanson

When I look at my family photographs, the stories behind them usually come flooding back to me. I recall the occasion–and often people and events I associate with the occasion, even if they aren’t shown in the pictures. But lacking those personal associations, photographs–especially historical photographs–can seem like vast mysteries–or closed storybooks. Now a wonderful …

Smiling woman dressed in outdoor winter clothes holds a large, old-style camera

Beating the Summer Heat

Posted by: Kristi Finefield

During a Washington D.C. summer, it’s a given that it will be hot and humid, and this summer is definitely living up to that standard. While I was thinking about how much I love air conditioning, my attention was caught by these photos, featuring people seeking relief from the heat in a time when air conditioning …

Smiling woman dressed in outdoor winter clothes holds a large, old-style camera

Sampling Slices of the FSA/OWI Collection

Posted by: Barbara Orbach Natanson

Anyone who has ever dipped into the amazing Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information photograph collection has probably experienced the same sensations that a pie eating contestant must face: mouth-watering temptation combined with a sinking sense that one will soon be overwhelmed. There are many ways to explore the 175,000 black-and-white photographs in the collection. …