Archive for Photos
“The North American Indian” by Edward Curtis
Curtis set out to record Native American culture and published twenty volumes of text and photographs between 1907 and 1930. The work is concentrated on the trans-Mississippi West as native cultures in the east had been eradicated by that time. Because of the cost of printing, only 500 were planned; it is thought that only 300 sets were actually published.
His work has engendered controversy and praise; here is an informed summary of his legacy.
Official Pictures of Congressional Members
The 117th Congressional Pictorial Directory has been released; it contains a color photograph of every member of Congress along with a brief resume of their service. Previous volumes covering the 84th through the 113th Congress are found here in a rather scattered fashion (older volumes are found at the bottom of this list); the 105th Congress to the present are all available here.
2020 in Pictures
This was a year of chaos and shambolic behavior. Please review 2020 in Photos: A Year Like No Other from The New York Times.
2020 Audubon Photography Winners
For an escape into color and glory, please go to this site where you will find stirring photos of birds in their various guises and habitats. Each entry has a “story behind” the work as well as a “bird lore” section. A wonderful respite from the daily news.
Online Primary Sources: V-E Day
Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945, seventy-five years ago. Some photographs can be perused; watch/listen to President Truman announce the surrender; Winston Churchill, Great Britain’s Prime Minister, delivered an iconic speech; read newspaper accounts; examine the Act of Surrender ; and listen to BBC reports from around Europe on that fateful day.
2019 Year in Pictures
The editors at The New York Times sifted through 5.6 million images to present these that they consider the best of the best; They range from the heartbreak of Yemen to a Siberian ice marathon. Here are last year’s chosen ones.
Other sites have also displayed their picks for the best pictures: CNN, People, USA Today, The Atlantic, and Reuters.
Photos of NJCU 2019 Commencement
There are more than 100, courtesy of nj.com.
Vintage Photos of New York City in Snowstorms
As we look forward to spring, here is what NYC used to look like during fierce snowstorms; another collection is here. And more can be found in the New York Public Library’s Digital Collections.
Online Primary Sources for American History: W.E.B. Du Bois and the 1900 Paris Exposition
“The Paris Exposition of 1900 included a display devoted to the history and “present conditions” of African Americans. W.E.B. Du Bois and special agent Thomas J. Calloway spearheaded the planning, collection and installation of the exhibit materials, which included 500 photographs.” (About)
Primary and secondary sources are available about this event in which Du Bois played such a pivotal role; included here are his writings on the exhibit. He wished to show the progress that African Americans had made since the Civil War, but also make people aware of the roadblocks put in their way by Jim Crow.
The photos can be accessed here along with Du Bois’ remarkable infographics showing the statistical profile of African Americans over the decades. Here is one showing the growth in population from 175 to 1890; there are seventy more of these documents. (Found on pages 1 and 2 of this site.)
Photos/Newsreels of World War I
As newer technologies are introduced, so too does the expansive documentation of history continue. Photography was by no means a recent invention in the early twentieth century, but its extensive use allows us a century later to view the resulting devastation of The Great War. There are numerous pictorial assemblages available for viewing. Among the most interesting are those from the Library of Congress’ Panoramic Photographs Collection containing many scenes from French battlefields as well as stateside military camps, including Camp Merritt located in Bergen County, N.J. (A memorial now marks this camp.)
Moving pictures were in their infancy during World War 1, but enough films were preserved and digitized to allow them to act as witnesses as well. This film – Scenes in the Meuse-Argonne Section, September 26 to November 11, 1918 – is one of a series that the U.S. National Archives has produced. In addition, the National Archives also acts as the repository for numerous newsreels from commercial vendors; take a look at the hundreds of newsreels from Fox-Movietone. And don’t forget the treasure trove from British Pathe – WWI- The Definitive Collection, and the European Film Gateway provides portals into little-known collections of great import.
Photos of 2018 NJCU Graduation
Well over one hundred photos are available for your perusal, courtesy of The Jersey Journal.
Congressional Photos
The 2018 iteration of the Congressional Pictorial Directory “…provides a color photograph of each member of the House of Representatives and the Senate for the 115th Congress. It also includes information about a Member of Congress’ length of service, political party affiliations, and Congressional district. Also contains pictures of the President, Vice President, and House and Senate officers and officials.”
News Coverage of the “March for Our Lives” Rallies
These videos of the Washington, D.C. rally are presented coutesy of C-SPAN; photos from other rallies can be see here. And here are more than 150 newspaper front pages covering this event.
Local Photos of January 4, 2018 Snowstorm
The more than one hundred photos come courtesy of the Jersey Journal.
Photos of Science Fiction Conventions
Before there was ComicCon, there were cons (science fiction conventions) dating back to the 1930s. Cosplay? That, too, appeared at science fiction conventions. Panels? Yep, sf cons as well. A goldmine of searchable photos, almost 6000 in total, from science fiction conventions from the 1960s and 1970s are now available. A great way to visually document the fanbase of sf as well as its authors.
Photos of New Jersey from Back in the Day
Please look at this “Vintage Photos” site from the Star Ledger; some of the photos in these topically-themed collections date back to the 19th century.
“This Month in New Jersey History”
Sponsored by the Star Ledger, this monthly photo gallery highlights events and people that impacted New Jersey and, at times, the world.
Congressman Frank J. Guarini Library Blog 