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Posted by: Kristi Finefield
Movie theaters were some of the very first public spaces to be air conditioned in the U.S. in the 1920s. See how theaters used this new feature as a draw to summer moviegoers through photos from the era.
Posted in: Flickr, Photographs, Visual literacy
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the spectator sport of pedestrianism, or what we might today call racewalking, saw its greatest popularity. This post takes a look at some of the celebrated pedestrians of the late 19th and even early 20th century through photos and prints.
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
While researching clocks in the Prints & Photographs Division for a recent Flickr album, Around the Clock, a large flower-covered clock stood out. Enjoy the story of and more images of this wonder through photos from the early 20th century Detroit Publishing Company collection.
Posted in: Flickr, Photographs
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
Last week, we celebrated the 17th birthday of The Commons on Flickr. The Commons started as a partnership between Flickr and the Library of Congress, and has grown to include tens of thousands of images from over 100 different institutions. In recent years, we have been selecting images from our collections to share in our …
Posted in: Architecture, Flickr, Photographs
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
In the course of locating images depicting a variety of dance styles in the collections for my most recent Flickr album, Shall We Dance?, my attention was drawn to photos of people in dance classes. Looking closely at each photo, I can see the telltale signs of someone learning – slightly stiff or self-conscious stances, …
Posted in: Flickr, Photographs
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
Included in my most recent Flickr album on aerial views was the postcard below. This particular card is a photomechanical color print of Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. This was the site of the annual Sugar Bowl college football game for its first few decades, until it moved to the Superdome. Finding it sent …
Posted in: Flickr, Photographs, Postcards, Prints
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 …
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 …
Posted in: Flickr, Photographs