Tag: Kristi Finefield

We celebrate April 24 as the birthday of the Library of Congress. On April 24, 1800, President John Adams approved the appropriation of $5,000 for the purchase of “such books as may be necessary for the use of congress.” It would take a bit longer for the Library of Congress to have books, a home, and a librarian. The initial collection of 740 volumes and three maps was ordered from London, and arrived in 1801. They were stored in the U.S. Capitol, the Library’s home for nearly the first century of its existence. In early 1802, President Thomas Jefferson approved the first law defining the library’s functions and created the post of Librarian of Congress. This architectural drawing of the…

In honor of Deaf History Month, which runs from mid-March to mid-April, we are offering a webinar showcasing photographs and prints of Deaf people, notable figures, education, careers, and activities found in the Prints and Photographs Division’s collections. The first half of the presentation will be in American Sign Language (ASL) with closed captioning and voice interpretation for non-signing viewers. The second half will be in English with an interpreter using ASL as well as closed captioning. The session will be offered twice. Our two staff members who will be sharing their knowledge of Deaf history in ASL during the first half of the presentation offered a few images as a preview. Digital Library Specialist Pete Richey selected the following…

Many U.S. communities advertise their special qualities via artwork on tall water towers. This one, locally known as “the Gaffney Peachoid” in Gaffney, South Carolina, touts the area’s tasty peaches. Photo by Carol M. Highsmith, 2017 Oct. 28. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/highsm.46659 Water towers dot the landscape, almost always the tallest structure in the nearby area. When taking long road trips, they catch my eye, especially ones where the tower has been painted to reflect something about the region or when the tower itself is an unusual shape. For example, the tower at right, in Gaffney, South Carolina, proudly touts the area’s peach production with this 130 foot tall tower shaped and painted to resemble a delicious peach! As always, my visual interests…

Like many people, I enjoy researching my family history, exploring my genealogy and collecting interesting facts, images, and records. As you can imagine, I sometimes come across visual materials in my work that make me think about my hobby.  In our collections, we have many examples of commercially printed and sold family trees, records and registers. They were printed with empty spaces so your family members’ names, dates and other details could be added in. This wonderful family tree from 1888 was one of the first that caught my attention while searching in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog. The tree itself – or the apples, more specifically – contain positive characteristics such as Politeness, Honor, Charity and Patience. In…