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Posted by: Melissa Lindberg
One hundred and thirty-five years ago today, a devastating flood swept through Johnstown, Pennsylvania and neighboring communities. On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam failed following torrential rain, releasing a massive volume of fast-moving water from Lake Conemaugh. The resulting flood led to the loss of more than 2,200 lives. Photographers and artists did …
Posted in: Drawings, Photographs
Posted by: Melissa Lindberg
The Prints & Photographs Division’s collections include many images that feature the humble bicycle. This familiar, ingenious transportation technology appears in pictures in multiple formats, including photographs, prints, and drawings, produced across decades. This popular graphic art print showing the scene at the 1883 Bicycle Camp-Exhibition & Tournament in Springfield, Massachusetts gives a sense of …
Posted in: Drawings, Photographs, Prints
Posted by: Melissa Lindberg
Paul Rudolph was one of the most significant American architects of the 20th century, best known for his modern, brutalist designs. This interview describes the experiences of two Library of Congress Junior Fellows, Rob Johnson and Carter Jackson, both currently working in the Prints & Photographs Division to contribute to the future processing of the Paul Marvin Rudolph archive.
Posted in: Drawings, Photographs, Series: Behind the Scenes
Posted by: Melissa Lindberg
The Prints & Photographs Division’s U.S. Civil War collections are impressive, spanning a number of collections. Our core bodies of material related to the Civil War are conveniently featured in one place in the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. Probably the best known collection of Civil War material in the division consists of original glass …
Posted in: Drawings, Photographs, Series: Revisiting Rights-Free
Posted by: Melissa Lindberg
The following is a guest post by Mari Nakahara, Curator of Architecture, Design, and Engineering, and Katherine Blood, Curator of Fine Prints, Prints & Photographs Division. The year 2022 marks the 110th anniversary of the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the city of Tokyo to Washington, D.C. in 1912, an enduring symbol of the …
Posted in: Drawings, News & Events, Photographs, Prints
Posted by: Melissa Lindberg
The following is a guest post by Ryan Brubacher, Reference Librarian, Prints & Photographs Division. Preparation for an upcoming virtual orientation (details below) led me to explore the HABS/HAER/HALS (HHH) Collection with an eye towards finding women in the role of architect or designer. The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), …
Posted in: Architecture, Drawings, HABS/HAER/HALS, Photographs, Women's History
Posted by: Melissa Lindberg
We are pleased to announce the publication of a new guide describing the Prints & Photographs Division’s large and varied collection of cartoon and caricature art. Martha H. Kennedy, now retired Curator of Popular & Applied Graphic Art and author of the guide, describes the appeal of this collection material: “The Library’s vast, diverse collections …
Posted in: Drawings, Prints, Research Guides
Posted by: Melissa Lindberg
The following is an interview with Georgia Joseph, Circulation Technician in the Prints & Photographs Division. Melissa: Thanks for agreeing to an interview, Georgia. We’re excited to learn more about your work. Could you start off by telling us a little bit about your background, and how you came to work in the Prints & …
Posted in: Drawings, Photographs, Series: Behind the Scenes
Posted by: Melissa Lindberg
The following is a guest post by Gillian Mahoney, Technical Services Technician in the Prints & Photographs Division. Are drive-in theaters making a comeback? Because of the current pandemic, many are seeking socially distant yet still sociable activities, and drive-in movie theaters offer a perfect combination. In the 1950s and 60s drive-ins were wildly popular, …
Posted in: Architecture, Drawings, Photographs