Photographs, Illustrations, and Objects Series, Library of Congress Archives
Scope and Content Note
The photographs in the Photographs, Illustrations, and Objects Series, Library of Congress Archives, span the years 1909-1991, with the bulk of the material dating from 1920 to 1991. The bulk of material in this series are photographs with some illustrations; no objects are described. Many photographs in this series were produced for the Information Bulletin, an internal staff publication, and other Library publications. The material primarily documents the daily activities of the Library of Congress and is comprised of images of staff, buildings, grounds, equipment, and social and ceremonial functions. Also in this series are photographs of notable Library guests, including writers Jorge Luis Borges, Ray Bradbury, Gwendolyn Brooks, Robert Frost, Ursula K. Le Guin, Madeleine L'Engle, and Toni Morrison; Presidents Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy; First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Rosalynn Carter, and Nancy Reagan; Librarians of Congress Luther Harris Evans, Archibald MacLeish, and L. Quincy Mumford; monarchs Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain and Juan Carlos I, King of Spain. Other prominent guests include Lillian Gish, Danny Kaye, Helen Keller, and Mary Pickford. Also featured are numerous Library events such as the National Children's Book Week, staff length of service awards, other public award ceremonies, and luncheons with special guests. Library exhibitions are also well represented in this series, including displays devoted to early motion pictures, early printing, Library architecture, Abraham Lincoln memorabilia, Frederick Law Olmstead, and many of the states. The collection is arranged and numbered in accession order and includes an index of subjects and dates for items 1-3267.
Dates
- Creation: 1909-1991
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1920-1991
Language of Materials
Collection material in English
Access and Restrictions
The Photographs, Illustrations, and Objects Series, Library of Congress Archives, is open to research. Many collections are off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the records of the Photographs, Illustrations, and Objects Series is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Administrative History
- 1940
- Information Office established by General Order 1190, which reorganized the Library of Congress into administrative units, July 5
- 1942
- Staff Information Bulletin began publication (later retitled Information Bulletin), Jan. 23
- 1943
- First issue of Information Bulletin with photograph, Apr. 12
- 1946
- First issue of Information Bulletin to feature a staff photograph, Jan. 12
- 1946
- First photo documentation of official foreign travel by Library staff published in the Information Bulletin, July 4
- 1990
- Library of Congress Gazette began publication, Apr. 6
Extent
15,000 items
155 containers
62 linear feet
Abstract
Photographs, illustrations, and objects from the Library of Congress Information Office documenting daily Library activities, including images of staff, buildings, grounds, equipment, social and ceremonial functions, and notable guests of the Library. Comprised largely of photographs used in Information Bulletin and other Library publications but also includes images from the Library’s Poetry Office and Literary Functions File.
Arrangement of the Collection
This collection is arranged numerically in accession order by item number.
Additional Description
A finding aid for the Library of Congress Archives is available at https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadlca.lc017001
An index of the subjects and dates for items 1-3267 is available in the Manuscript Reading Room and online as a PDF and Excel spreadsheet. The item numbers in the container list correspond to the item numbers in the index.
Catalog Record
Acquisition Information
The bulk of the Photographs, Illustrations, and Objects Series was transferred to the Library of Congress Archives in the Manuscript Division from the Library of Congress Information Office in 1988 and 1989. Additional material was added to this series from other Library units in 1990, including items 1014-1289, which were added from the Poetry Office and Literary Functions File.
Processing History
The Photographs, Illustrations, and Objects Series was arranged and indexed in 1991 by John D. Knowlton. The finding aid was encoded and the index updated by Julie Yamashita in 2022. The finding aid was revised by Shandra Morehouse in 2023.
Source
- Library of Congress. Information Office (Creator, Organization)
Subject
- Library of Congress--Awards. (Organization)
- Library of Congress--Buildings--Photographs. (Organization)
- Library of Congress--Equipment and supplies--Photographs. (Organization)
- Library of Congress--Officials and employees--Photographs. (Organization)
- Library of Congress--Photographs. (Organization)
- Library of Congress--Rites and ceremonies--Photographs. (Organization)
- Library of Congress. Information Office. (Organization)
- Library of Congress. Poetry Office--Photographs. (Organization)
- Title
- Photographs, Illustrations, and Objects Series, Library of Congress Archives
- Subtitle
- A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress
- Author
- Prepared by Manuscript Division staff
- Date
- 2023
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Part of the Library of Congress Archives Repository
Manuscript Reading Room
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James Madison Building, LM 101
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