Finding Fun Photos (and More) in Flickr

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The following is a guest post by Jan Grenci, Reference Specialist, Prints & Photographs Division.

The Prints & Photographs Division uses Flickr to share interesting images with the world. Some of our Flickr albums aim to bring together images on a particular theme, from a variety of collections and time periods. Others ask for your help in identifying images with little or no caption information.

Please allow me to direct your attention to three recently published albums.

Dog Stars 

Though I am more of a cat person, I am fond of dogs and can appreciate the plentiful dog images found in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC). One of my favorites of the dog photos shows two of Herbert Hoover’s pets. The dogs’ names have stuck with me since I first saw the photo many, many years ago. The Schnauzer is Whoopie and the Gordon Setter is Inglehurst Gillette.

Shows two dogs on steps

Whoopie and Englehurst Gillette two of the White House dogs with Robert R. Robinson. Photo by National Photo Co., 1929 March 29. //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c31290. View in Flickr

Back to School

The Back to School album allowed me to think back on my days of playing kickball (I was a member of the runner-up team in the 5th grade homeroom kickball tournament). I didn’t find any kickball images, but I did find an excellent recess photo from December of 1974. All the kids look appropriately dressed for a winter’s day, but one kid seems to be prepared for an expedition to the North Pole.

Shows several children, both White and Black, playing with a ball outdoors

School Integration- Thurber Elementary, Columbus, Ohio. Photo by Thomas O’Halloran for U.S. News & World Report, 1974 December 6. //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.55616. View in Flickr.

Shows child with face mask, mittens, and coat on.

Detail of School Integration- Thurber Elementary, Columbus, Ohio. Photo by Thomas O’Halloran for U.S. News & World Report, 1974 December 6. //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.55616

Note: This photo, made to report on a serious topic, offers plenty to engage the viewer. We have a candidate for second-most Arctically appropriate participant–can you guess which child (we think there’s a child inside those clothes) that might be? And we’re speculating that there are a pair of siblings on the playground — do you share our supposition?

Mystery Stereographs

Our latest Flickr set, released on Friday, includes a batch of mystery stereographs. We encourage you to get in touch if you can help identify any of the images. Some of the mysteries have already been solved! A sign on the column was the clue here to pinning down the name and location of what was originally described as “Interior of general store.”

Shows interior with items on display, sign on a column in the background.

[Store of Winn, Ricker & Co., commision merchants, at 93-95 Faneuil Hall Market, Boston, Massachusetts]. Stereograph photo, 1864. //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/stereo.1s08785

We release new images weekly on Flickr. Be sure to check back often to see new gems from the Library’s collections.

Learn More:

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