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Archive: 2019 (52 Posts)

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

“Comic Art” Exhibition: Exploring the History of a Beloved Format

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

While recently viewing the Library of Congress exhibition, “Comic Art: 120 Years of Panels and Pages,” I was struck by the effective storytelling Frank King employed in a cartoon drawing for his Gasoline Alley comic strip. In the cartoon, the main character Walt Wallet is depicted as a father whose well-meaning plans to introduce his …

Frances Benjamin Johnston, full-length self-portrait dressed as a man. Photo (albumen silver print) by Frances Benjamin Johnston, between 1890 and 1900. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsc.04884

Frances Benjamin Johnston’s Hampton Album: A Researcher’s Exploration

Posted by: Barbara Orbach Natanson

The following is a guest post by Micah Messenheimer, Curator of Photography, Prints & Photographs Division. Conversations with visiting researchers that lead to new appreciation for the many interconnections among Library of Congress collections are one of the pleasures of my job as a photography curator. The following interview was done with Jane Pierce, Carl …

Profiling Portraits: Feline Photography

Posted by: Kristi Finefield

Taking a portrait alongside your favorite feline is no easy task. Cats are notoriously (but delightfully) finicky about following directions, so getting one to sit still for a portrait can be a tall order. Despite that, our collections contain many examples of people posing with their cats – or at least attempting to do so! …

Septima Clark and Rosa Parks at Highlander. Photo by Ida Berman, 1955. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.47364

Behind the Scenes: Inspired by Rosa Parks

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

The following interview with Luis Clavell, Program Specialist at the Library of Congress, marks the anniversary of December 1st, 1955, when Rosa Parks was arrested for keeping her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Luis is instrumental in bringing the Rosa Parks collection to the public and serves on a team that manages …

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

The Faces of Child Labor

Posted by: Kristi Finefield

The oftentimes heartbreaking photos taken by Lewis Hine for the National Child Labor Committee from 1908 to 1924 demand we look more closely at the faces of young laborers and the conditions under which they worked, such as this young spinner in a Georgia cotton mill: The photos’ impact continues to this day, adding a …

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

Planting Victory

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

In the wake of Veterans Day, when we honor those who have been willing to place themselves in harm’s way to serve their country, it feels appropriate to highlight the efforts of civilians who supported service members’ work during war time by doing their bit at home. Barbara Natanson, head of the Prints & Photographs Reading Room, recently pointed …

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

Honoring Veterans, Telling Stories of Service Through Handmade Paper Art

Posted by: Barbara Orbach Natanson

The following is a guest post by Katherine Blood, Curator of Fine Prints, Prints & Photographs Division. As moderator for the Veterans Art Showcase’s Combat Paper panel, she would like to thank the participating panelists and artists for sharing their knowledge, art, and stories. The extensive Library of Congress collections of art and documentation related …

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

Step Right Up! Circus Posters for Your Viewing Pleasure

Posted by: Barbara Orbach Natanson

The following is a guest post by Jan Grenci, Reference Specialist for Posters, and Shaunette Payne, Processing Technician, Prints & Photographs Division. Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, please direct your attention to the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog, and join us in celebrating the recent digitizing of the Library’s circus posters! The Circus …