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Posted by: Kristi Finefield
Explore the long tradition of watercolor painting as a tool in architectural rendering through examples in the collections of the Prints & Photographs Division. This post will include watercolor paintings dating back to the 19th century, including the Library of Congress and the U.S. Capitol.
Posted in: Architecture, Drawings
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
The life of a town or city often flows through its Main Street. In Richmond, Virginia, the Main Street Station has provided passenger service for most of its 125 years, with one notable years-long gap in service. Explore the history of this historic landmark through photos from our collections.
Posted in: Architecture, Flickr, Photographs, Visual literacy
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
With the Oscars coming up this weekend, we find ourselves nostalgic for the experience of watching movies in a theater, as well as for the golden age of movie palaces from the 1910s to the 1940s like the ones featured in this post.
Posted in: Architecture, Photographs
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
A surprisingly large and dramatic photo from the 1905 American Bowling Congress tournament in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, piqued my curiosity. What other photos do we have of bowling alleys through the years in the collections of the Prints and Photographs Division?
Posted in: Architecture, Photographs, Postcards
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
Calling all mid-century fans! Join Reference Librarian, Gillian Mahoney, for a virtual presentation on January 21st to learn more about Charles M. Goodman, one of the D.C. area’s most influential mid-century architects. Best known for his designs for the Hollin Hills neighborhood in Fairfax County, Goodman frequently worked with local builders and developers to make modern houses available to the mass market. This blog post will share a few sample items from the collection in advance of the talk.
Posted in: Architecture, Photographs, Webinars
Posted by: Kate Phillips
Holiday cooking season is upon us. Today we’re looking at technologies intending to make our lives in the kitchen a bit easier. Drawing from advertisements, trademark registrations, photographs, and architectural drawings, this post highlights time, energy, and space-saving devices designed (in theory) to streamline our culinary experiences.
Posted in: Architecture, Photographs, Prints
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
A dramatic photograph of two smokestacks tumbling down in D.C. catches our eye. This blog post explores the story behind these tall structures that formerly towered over the National Mall.
Posted in: Architecture, Photographs, Series: Double Take
Posted by: Melissa Lindberg
The following is a guest post by Helena Zinkham, Chief, Prints & Photographs Division. Do you need ideas for fixing up an old house? Close-up views of the Statue of Liberty? The dimensions of a Spanish mission? All that information and more is ready for you in the HABS/HAER/HALS Collection with 450,000 drawings, photographs, and …
Posted in: Architecture, Drawings, HABS/HAER/HALS, Photographs
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
On April 24, 1800, President John Adams authorized the spending of $5000 for "such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress." This act was the beginning of the Library of Congress. Look back over 225 years of the Library's history through architectural drawings, prints and photographs.
Posted in: Architecture, Drawings, News & Events, Photographs