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Posted by: Kristi Finefield
In the latest installment in our occasional series, Double Take, we take a first – and second look – at the photo below. View the image and remember your very first impression before scrolling down to read further. Despite all evidence to the contrary, the first thought in my mind about this photo was: Girl …
Posted in: Photographs, Series: Double Take, Visual literacy
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
On Veterans Day, Americans recognize and thank those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Initially known as Armistice Day and marking the cessation of major hostilities in World War I, the holiday grew to include all veterans, and was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. Crowds turn out in droves to watch parades of …
Posted in: Photographs
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
A visit to the Library of Congress is, I hope, on the bucket list of many Americans, either to tour the galleries and ornately decorated spaces of the Thomas Jefferson Building or to do research in any of our multiple reading rooms and research centers. However, if you can’t come to us, we will come …
Posted in: Photographs, Prints, Visual literacy
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
While browsing through our millions of images in the Prints and Photographs Division, I often do a double take. I stop, look again, and start asking questions. In this new occasional blog series, Double Take, we will take a first and then a second look at those images together. Some images that we’ll feature will …
Posted in: Photographs, Series: Double Take, Visual literacy
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
The love of reading crosses all boundaries, appealing to people of all ages, races, genders, and walks of life. For hundreds of years, readers have opened books to learn about history or science or to discover new, imaginary worlds. Books have furnished inspiration, excitement, and relaxation. The possibilities are limitless. Within our collections, I found …
Posted in: News & Events, Photographs, Posters, Prints
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
As I swelter through the dog days of summer along with my fellow Washingtonians, my overheated mind called forth a favorite print from our Fine Prints collection. The grace and simplicity of this lithograph are compelling enough, but the promise of a refreshing splashdown and a cool breeze on the way down is what caught …
Posted in: Photographs, Prints, Series: Caught Our Eyes
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
The two people in the photo at right seem stopped in their tracks, much like I was when I saw this image for the first time. As I took in the details, I realized the towering metal behemoth was a Ferris wheel. It would take a bit more research to discover that this is actually …
Posted in: Photographs, Prints
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
Photographers sometimes get into the most precarious positions to get that perfect shot. The humorous drawing (below left) was apparently part of the White House News Photographers Association banquet in 1923, perhaps poking fun at the contortions necessary to snap an elusive photo. (The unidentified photographer whose head has been pasted on was perhaps one …
Posted in: Photographs, Series: Anything to Get the Shot
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
When I take a photo of a group of people, the challenges are familiar to most of us. Are the shorter people in the front so they can be seen? Is everyone’s face visible? Are they smiling? Is everyone looking at the camera? And inevitably, someone still has their eyes closed in the final product. …
Posted in: Photographs