Top of page

Archive: 2024 (52 Posts)

Illustration for front panel of dust jacket shows a self-portrait of Herbert Block sitting at his drawing table working on editorial cartoons with an hourglass in the foreground; in the background are caricatures of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.

Herblock Looks at 1974: Fifty Years Ago in Editorial Cartoons

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

The following is a guest post by Helena Zinkham, Chief, and Sara W. Duke, Curator of Popular and Applied Graphic Arts, Prints & Photographs Division. Politically independent and a champion of the little guy, Herbert L. Block (1909–2001)—better known as “Herblock”—spared no one from the wrath of his art. His pointed commentaries offer an opportunity …

A Lithographic Stone’s Throw

Posted by: Kristi Finefield

I love making connections within our collections here in the Prints & Photographs (P&P) Division. Recently, I made an unexpected connection between our poster holdings and an artifact located across the Atlantic in London. During a visit to the London Transport Museum’s Global Poster Gallery, retired Reference Specialist for Posters, Jan Grenci, and I spotted …

Pictures on Textiles

Posted by: Kristi Finefield

The vast majority of the items in the Prints & Photographs Division’s collections are works of art on paper, such as photographs, posters, and architectural drawings. However, there are exceptions. In my latest Flickr album heralding the coming of autumn, there are two items featured that are not on paper at all, but are instead …

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 …

All Aboard for Pikes Peak

Posted by: Kristi Finefield

In my most recent selection of railroad-related images on Flickr, All Aboard!, the photo that received the most attention was this one of the Manitou & Pike’s Peak Railway. I’m imagining the seemingly backwards and tilted locomotive drew some curiousity. This is a cog railway, used to climb steep grades. The boiler in this steam …

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 …

More Images Newly Digitized

Posted by: Kristi Finefield

The work of scanning, cataloging, and sharing our collection of images with the world is never ceasing in the Prints & Photographs Division. Digitization work brings to light both recently acquired and long-held items from the collections. I periodically browse our newly digitized images to see what is now available. I was particularly taken by …

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 …