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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Over the course of his life, Bayard Rustin championed the rights of many, including African Americans, unions and members of the LGBTQ community. He was a close confidant of A. Philip Randolph and Martin Luther King, Jr. at the height of the Civil Rights movement, but for many his name is not as immediately recognizable …