When searching in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC), one fascinating image can often lead to another. That is what happened when I was looking for apple images for the latest Flickr album How Do You Like These Apples? I included this Currier & Ives lithograph from the Popular Graphic Arts Collection in the album: Apples. Lithograph by Currier & Ives, 1868. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pga.04717 I also found the image below when searching for “apple” in the Popular Graphic Arts Collection in PPOC. Although this print is titled American Autumn Fruit, it was retrieved in my search because it was cataloged with the subject heading apples, along with grapes, watermelons, berries, pears, and plums: American Autumn Fruit. Lithograph by A.J. Nurre,…
Category: Picture this
Revisiting Rights-Free: U.S. Civil War Images
The Prints & Photographs Division’s U.S. Civil War collections are impressive, spanning a number of collections. Our core bodies of material related to the Civil War are conveniently featured in one place in the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. Probably the best known collection of Civil War material in the division consists of original glass plate negatives made under the supervision of Mathew Brady and Alexander Gardner, along with related prints. These images, numbering at about 7,000, provide vivid evidence not only of the horrors of war, but also of the logistics, technology, and sheer number of people who were required to support the Union’s ultimately successful effort. This photo shows members of Company “B” from the 170th N.Y. Infantry…
Caught Our Eyes: En garde!
One of the things I do as a reference librarian of visual materials is keep a folder full of interesting images I come across in my work. Our collections are full of opportunities for serendipitous discovery, and I keep my eyes open for compelling images like this 1923 photo from the National Photo Company Collection. Geo. Wash. fencing team. Photo by National Photo Company, 1923 December 11. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/npcc.10069 The strong composition, the focused expressions, the clothing styles, the perfectly poised ladies and their unwavering swords, with the tip of one just touching the waist of the opponent at right – all of it makes me want to stop and study the image. It appears they are using foils, rather than…
Send In the (Baseball) Clowns
My latest Flickr album, focusing on images of brass instruments, includes a photograph of Nick Altrock and Al Schacht playing sousaphones: Nick Altrock & Al Schacht, 10/5/24. Photo by National Photo Company, October 5, 1924. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/npcc.12298 This photo and others in this blog post were taken when both men were a part of the Washington Senators organization. Both men had professional baseball careers, and were coaches when most of these photos were taken, but they are probably more remembered for their antics as baseball clowns. Altrock and Schacht would entertain the crowd with their comedy routines before and during games. Here you see Altrock wearing a giant glove and a tiny hat. One of his oversize mitts is now a…