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Category: Photographs

Smiling woman dressed in outdoor winter clothes holds a large, old-style camera

Strolling Through a World of Flowers

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

Spring has arrived. While some of us may have an opportunity to carefully step outside and view blossoms in our own neighborhood, others may not. Wherever you are, you can take a virtual stroll among the shoots and blossoms planted among the collections of the Prints & Photographs Division. Many images of gardens can be …

Smiling woman dressed in outdoor winter clothes holds a large, old-style camera

Catching the Spirit of Baseball’s Opening Day

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

The following is a guest post by Hanna Soltys, Reference Librarian, Prints & Photographs Division. The post was written with the help of Sara W. Duke, Curator of Popular and Applied Graphic Art.   While professional baseball’s Opening Day will take place at a later date, the spirit and excitement of the day still live …

Smiling woman dressed in outdoor winter clothes holds a large, old-style camera

Cherry Blossoms Available in Print and Online

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

Every year Washingtonians are treated to a feast for the eyes as ornamental cherry trees bloom across the city, most prominently by the Tidal Basin. As cherry blossom season approaches, we would like to share information about two related resources that we hope will offer some inspiration for those near and far: a selected set …

Smiling woman dressed in outdoor winter clothes holds a large, old-style camera

Frederick Douglass and the Power of Pictures

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

Frederick Douglass was a firm believer in the power of pictures. In an 1861 lecture called “Pictures and Progress” by the press, Douglass wondered why photography pioneer Louis Daguerre was not more frequently compared with inventors of such vaunted technologies as the telegraph or the steamboat: “the great father of our modern pictures is seldom …

Smiling woman dressed in outdoor winter clothes holds a large, old-style camera

Behind the Scenes: Bringing Pictures to the Public

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

Below is an interview with Jon Eaker, Reference Librarian in the Prints & Photographs Division at the Library of Congress. Melissa: Thanks for agreeing to an interview, Jon. Can you fill us in on your background, and what led you to become a reference librarian here in the Prints & Photographs Division? Jon:  Well, I’ve …

Smiling woman dressed in outdoor winter clothes holds a large, old-style camera

New Guide – Great Migration: Finding Pictures

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

The Prints & Photographs Division regularly receives questions about how to find pictures related to the Great Migration – when millions of African Americans, many of whom lived in the rural American South, permanently relocated to cities to the north and west. These individuals had many reasons for leaving their homes, but they were spurred …

Septima Clark and Rosa Parks at Highlander. Photo by Ida Berman, 1955. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.47364

Behind the Scenes: Inspired by Rosa Parks

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

The following interview with Luis Clavell, Program Specialist at the Library of Congress, marks the anniversary of December 1st, 1955, when Rosa Parks was arrested for keeping her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Luis is instrumental in bringing the Rosa Parks collection to the public and serves on a team that manages …

Smiling woman dressed in outdoor winter clothes holds a large, old-style camera

Planting Victory

Posted by: Melissa Lindberg

In the wake of Veterans Day, when we honor those who have been willing to place themselves in harm’s way to serve their country, it feels appropriate to highlight the efforts of civilians who supported service members’ work during war time by doing their bit at home. Barbara Natanson, head of the Prints & Photographs Reading Room, recently pointed …