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Posted by: Kristi Finefield
In these photographs, we see two houses, both set in rural Virginia, in the mid-nineteenth century. These were the homes, a few years apart, of a retired officer of the Virginia militia named Wilmer McLean and his family. At first glance, the houses and these facts are unremarkable. But the history these walls witnessed, and …
Posted in: Photographs, Prints
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
My fascination with hot air balloons dates back to childhood, and the first time I saw one in the movie The Wizard of Oz. I’m not sure if it was because of my youth or because the balloon belonged to the “Wizard of Oz,” but it seemed pretty magical to me that there existed balloons …
Posted in: Photographs, Prints, Series: Pictures to Go
Posted by: Barbara Orbach Natanson
One of the wonders of modern transportation that advertisers at the turn of the twentieth century communicated through pictures was the compact luxury of railroad sleeping cars, stressing how they offered the comforts of home and more. Often shown as a side feature are the porters who tended to passengers’ needs. African-American sleeping car porters, …
Posted in: Photographs, Prints
Posted by: Barbara Orbach Natanson
With the many new faces on Capitol Hill this month as the 114th Congress gets underway, it’s an apt time to revisit the faces and activities of members of Congress of yesteryear. A new guide, “Pictures of Congress: An Overview,” helps researchers do just that. Although the Prints & Photographs Division generally does not receive …
Posted in: Cartoons, Photographs, Portraits, Prints
Posted by: Jeff Bridgers
I beg to present you a Christmas Gift, the City of Savannah . . . — General Sherman to President Lincoln, telegram, December 22, 1864 One hundred fifty years ago in December 1864, General William T. Sherman and his troops completed their “March to …
Posted in: Drawings, Photographs, Prints
Posted by: Kristi Finefield
Methods of transportation, from horse-drawn carriages to helicopters, from airplanes to automobiles, and from trains to trolleys offer a seemingly endless variety of visual inspiration. Some images capture a singular moment in history, some a flight of fancy which does not last, while others show us the progression over time as clever minds invent and …
Posted in: Prints, Series: Pictures to Go
Posted by: Barbara Orbach Natanson
What do bookplates tell us about book owners for whom they were designed? The small labels (also known as “ex libris”) were intended to be pasted inside an individual’s books to connect the book with its owner. But what other connections regarding the owner’s personal traits or interests might they reveal? Recently, we created an …
Posted by: Barbara Orbach Natanson
The following is a guest post by Helena Zinkham, Chief, Prints & Photographs Division. When the elegant Hispanic Reading Room opened in October 1939, its closest neighbor at the Library of Congress was the Division of Fine Arts, known today as the Prints & Photographs Division. Over the last 75 years, we have enjoyed collaborating …
Posted in: Hispanic American History, Prints
Posted by: Jeff Bridgers
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? The lengthy title of John Bower’s famous print [below] depicting the 1814 British bombardment at Fort McHenry both describes the scene portrayed and provides a tidy summary of the sustained barrage: “A view of the …
Posted in: Prints