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By: Melissa Lindberg
For many of us who live in or near cities, public transit is an integral part of our daily lives, helping us to travel to and from our job sites, schools, and countless other destinations. Join us as we explore subway-related images from the collections.
Posted in: Picture This
By: Melissa Lindberg
Popular graphic art prints often reflect the tastes of their times, and fashion trends are one particularly fascinating area to survey. As we find ourselves ensconced in the fall season and quickly approaching winter, we were inspired to look for cold weather fashions in print. Join us as we look at details from one print.
Posted in: Picture This
By: Melissa Lindberg
Fans of art nouveau design may be surprised to learn that the Prints & Photographs Division has more than a dozen striking images by the man widely credited as the originator of the style -- Czech artist Alphonse Mucha -- in the collections. See some examples in this blog post.
Posted in: Picture This
By: Melissa Lindberg
Sample some images from the Library of Congress postcard collections in this post as we prepare to host a webinar on April 16 featuring a broad selection of postcards from the late 19th century forward. We hope this quick introduction will encourage you to watch the live event – or listen to the recording if you aren’t able to make it!
Posted in: Picture This
By: Melissa Lindberg
The following is a guest post by Helena Zinkham, Chief, Prints & Photographs Division. Our talented teams in the Prints & Photographs Division (P&P) organized and described 250,000 pictures during the past year. The processing teams completed several new collections for you to enjoy from a distance or examine in person, and digitization staff added some …
Posted in: Picture This
By: Melissa Lindberg
Although Washington, D.C. has seen little icy precipitation this year, the past weekend’s official turn to winter has turned my mind toward the possibility of snow this season. Enjoy these 19th-century woodcuts, with hopes that wherever you are these beautiful images will bring you some peace. Learn More: Explore additional Picture This blog posts featuring …
Posted in: Picture This
By: Melissa Lindberg
Let Prints & Photographs Division Reference Librarian Gillian Mahoney take you for a four-wheeled tour of car-related images from the collections this Wednesday, November 20 at 3:00pm EST. Explaining her interest in P&P’s extensive pictorial representation of cars, Gillian notes that, “images of cars in our catalog offer a fascinating glimpse into automotive and industrial …
Posted in: Picture This
By: Melissa Lindberg
Whether you think black cats are spooky, good luck, or simply adorable companions, the many images featuring these striking felines in the collections are evidence that photographers and other artists have found them compelling since at least the 19th century. This photograph by Arthur Rothstein highlights the tonal contrast between the cat’s dark fur and …
Posted in: Picture This
By: Melissa Lindberg
Many of us spend a considerable amount of time in the kitchen, a space that can serve both a utilitarian and a social function. The Prints & Photographs Division collections provide great images of kitchen spaces that highlight prepared food, architectural elements, and the labor that goes into ensuring our nourishment. The photograph below shows …
Posted in: Picture This
By: Melissa Lindberg
When I come across similar images in the online catalog, it’s hard not to stop and compare them. Sometimes we have multiple copies of an image printed from the same negative, other times we see photographs that were taken seconds apart or from a similar vantage point — and sometimes an image is modified from …
Posted in: Picture This