The following is a guest post by Ryan Brubacher, Reference Librarian, Prints & Photographs Division. In late November, the winners of the 2021 HALS Challenge were announced. The announcement offers a good opportunity to highlight the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) collection, including the historical reports found within this collection, as well as the National …
Thanksgiving in America is pie’s time to shine, as one or more of these delightful desserts often provide the sweet finish to Thanksgiving feasts across the country. Depending on where you live or your family hails from, the pies could contain pecan, sweet potato, pumpkin, apple, or a wide variety of other delicious fillings. The …
A recently published research guide on Latin America and the Caribbean in Photographs by Curator of Photography Adam Silvia offered me a chance to take a virtual tour of a wide variety of collections I had not yet explored in detail as well as pointed out some of the hidden treasures in familiar collections. Through …
As part of her ongoing journey to document all of America with her camera, contemporary photographer Carol M. Highsmith visited Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and New Mexico in the last year. Her colorful images from these states are now included in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog for your virtual travel enjoyment! Digital Library …
Many a research journey starts with a single photograph and my curiosity. Some voyages lead to an entry here in the Picture This blog, and today’s post is no different. I came across this image in the online catalog and several things grabbed my attention right off the bat: First, what a mess! The librarian …
The following is a guest post by Helena Zinkham, Chief, Prints and Photographs Division. The Prints and Photographs Division (P&P) invites you to get your mouse (or your car or bicycle) ready to travel the byways and highways that photographer John Margolies drove along as he created the Roadside America Collection between 1969 and 2008. …
The following is a guest post by Adam Silvia, Curator of Photography, and Katherine Blood, Curator of Fine Prints in the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division. In honor of this year’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May 1-31) the Prints & Photographs Division would like to share with you a selection …
In this entry in the occasional series where we look at portraits in the collections, I found myself, as always, fascinated by the process that creates an image, and wanting a peek into the story behind the portrait. In this case, I found examples of subjects sitting for an artist as the artist painted the …
The following is a guest post by Mary Jane Appel, photo historian and author of the recently published Russell Lee: A Photographer’s Life and Legacy (Liveright, in association with the Library of Congress, 2021). When Farm Security Administration (FSA) photographer Russell Lee drove through the small town of San Marcos, Texas on a sunny afternoon …
