Top of page

Archive: 2024 (17 Posts)

View of miners in rectangular box angled downward, with wooden infrastructure surrounding them.

Copper Mining and Its Monumental Structures

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

The following is a guest post by Ryan Brubacher, Reference Specialist, Prints & Photographs Division. I recently returned from an information-soaked conference in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where I toured and learned about structures related to the fascinating history of the copper mining industry in the Keweenaw area. When I came home, the experience …

Watercolor shows adult figure holding pail and child walking alongside in center of image, facing away from viewer, with barrack-type structures along either side.

New Gift of Artist Takuichi Fujii’s Drawings

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

The following is a guest post by Kara Chittenden and Katherine Blood in the Prints & Photographs Division about a special new gift of valuable drawings. During World War II, over 120,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated in concentration camps. Engaging in creative activities was a way for prisoners to endure significant hardships. Since photography …

Color photograph shows open kitchen cupboard with four shelves containing various spices on bottom three shelves and glass dishes on the top shelf. The cabinets and walls are white.

Everything Including the Kitchen Sink

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

Many of us spend a considerable amount of time in the kitchen, a space that can serve both a utilitarian and a social function. The Prints & Photographs Division collections provide great images of kitchen spaces that highlight prepared food, architectural elements, and the labor that goes into ensuring our nourishment. The photograph below shows …

Side view, from above, of tan colored boxes that include small thumbnail images of 19th century photos on top of boxes. Handwritten call numbers for the images are also visible on the boxes.

Behind the Scenes: Exploring the Historic and Aesthetic Value of Photographs

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

The following is an interview with Ramon Jr. Salado Romo, Stanford in Government Liljenquist Fellow in the Prints & Photographs Division. Melissa: Thanks for talking with us. Can you describe your background and how you came to this internship? Ramon: I grew up in Southern California in the Coachella Valley region. After high school I …

Teenage boy wearing a denim jacket styles younger boy's hair in kitchen, with stove top visible in background and sink and counter visible in foreground and at right.

Ryan White: Through the Lens of Taro Yamasaki

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

The following is a guest post by Adam M. Silvia, Curator of Photography in the Prints & Photographs Division. On August 18th, 1990, the U.S. Congress passed the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act, which allocated federal funds to support the treatment of AIDS.  To commemorate the 34th anniversary of this legislation and celebrate its …

Three men, clothed in warm winter coats and hats, with ice crystals and/or snow covering parts of their faces.

The Keystone Review: Shedding Light on the Stereograph Business

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

The following is a guest post by Leigh Gleason, Head, Reference Section, Prints & Photographs Division. The Keystone Review was a magazine published by stereographic photograph publisher Keystone View Company and distributed to its sales staff, who sold Keystone’s stereo cards door-to-door. The magazine was published from 1898 through 1909, and the Library of Congress …

Puppy Love

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

Some of us can think of no better companions than our pets, and photographic evidence shows that members of previous generations were like-minded. Dog lovers out there may be interested to know that the Prints & Photographs Division collections feature many pictures of people and puppies spending time in each other’s company, such as these: …

A Porch with a View

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

Porches have many uses. They can serve as a gathering place for socializing with acquaintances, friends, or family. Or they can provide the backdrop for solitary activities like reading or people-watching. As structures, they can provide visual interest. And they come in all shapes and sizes. This photograph of men gathered on the porch of …

Views of Mulberry Street in Little Italy

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

When I come across similar images in the online catalog, it’s hard not to stop and compare them. Sometimes we have multiple copies of an image printed from the same negative, other times we see photographs that were taken seconds apart or from a similar vantage point — and sometimes an image is modified from …