Finding Fun Photos (and More) in Flickr

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.

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 5^th 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.

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.”

Learn More:

• Read about our goals for the Flickr project, and catch up on all that has happened in the thirteen years since we began it by viewing a full list of our Flickr albums and exploring earlier blog posts relating to Flickr.
• With most Flickr albums, we offer hints about how to find more on the subject. For instance:
  • Dog Stars: Looking for more dog companions – or other pet pictures? View the variety of canines photographed by Carol M. Highsmith, or sample our other albums, “Purrfect Cats,” and “Presidential Pets.”
  • Back to School: Looking for more classroom experience? Have a look at Picture This blog posts:
    Absorbing Details in the Classroom: Photographs of Schoolroom Interiors and Back to the Chalkboard: Schooltime Photos in the FSA/OWI Collection.
    You might also browse images from a survey of Washington, D.C., public schools photographed by Frances Benjamin Johnston ca. 1899.
• Even pictures that aren’t labeled as mysteries can benefit from more sleuthing. Do you spot a clue for (further) identifying one of our pictures? You don’t have to be a Flickr member to share your knowledge. Feel free to provide a blog comment or write to the Prints & Photographs Ask a Librarian account, where you can answer as well as ask a librarian!