Peter Sekaer photograph collection
Scope and Content Note
Photographs show buildings, housing, slums and urban life in the South, Midwest, and some areas of the Northeast such as for New York City and Pittsburgh. Many images also depict working class and low income individuals in their homes or communities. The majority were taken for the United States Housing Authority. Approximately thirty prints, primarily depicting urban architecture and people, are identified as Sekaer's personal photographs.
Dates
- Creation: ca. 1935-ca. 1940
Language of Materials
Collection material in English
Access Restrictions
The Peter Sekaer photograph collection is open to research.
Requesting Materials
For information about service in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, including obtaining copies, see "Information for Researchers."
Rights Restrictions
No known restrictions on publication.
Biographical Note
Documentary photographer, Peter Sekaer (1901-1950) was hired by the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) in 1936 to document government sponsored projects furnishing electricity to rural areas throughout the United States. By 1938 Sekaer was working for the U.S. Housing Authority photographing urban slums, primarily in the South and Midwest.
Extent
281 photographic prints : gelatin silver ; majority 20 x 25 cm (8 x 10 in.) or smaller
Abstract
Photographs show buildings, housing, slums and urban life in the South, Midwest, and some areas of the Northeast such as New York City and Pittsburgh.
Arrangement
The Peter Sekaer photograph collection is organized by subject using unique alphanumeric codes assigned by Sekaer's heirs. The photographs in the LOT are arranged alphabetically by these codes. The subject code prefixes include:
Letter code and subject category:
- AO = Architecture, New Orleans
- AR = Architecture, American
- BI = Black interiors (Slums)
- BL = Blighted areas
- BS = Black slums
- BU = Bums and loafers
- CN = Children, Negro
- CO = Convicts
- CT = Company towns
- CW = Children, White
- HW = Housing, White
- MA = Mexican Americans
- NY = New York City
- PA = Parades and crowds
- PRI = Privies
- PRO = Prostitutes
- SA = Salvation Army
- SC = Sculpture and monuments
- SH = Shipping
- SI = Signs and stores
- ST = Still life
- TY = Types of people
- US = Uncle Sam mailboxes
- WI = White interiors
- WS = White slums (exteriors)
Catalog Record
Provenance
The Peter Sekaer photograph collection was given to the Library of Congress by his heirs in installments between 1989 and 1996. Two photos of New York are gifts of Mildred Constantine, given in 1976.
- Gift; Christina Sekaer; 1987-1995; DLC/PP-1987:175 (24 photos), DLC/PP-1992:037 (73 photos), DLC/PP-1995:050 (12 photos).
- Gift; Mildred Constantine; 1976; DLC/PP-1976:012 (2 photos).
- Gift; Elisabeth Rothschild and Christina Sekaer; 1989; DLC/PP-1989:131 (24 photos).
- Gift; Elisabeth Rothschild; 1989-1996; DLC/PP-1989:120 (24 photos), DLC/PP-1992:036 (24 photos), DLC/PP-1995:049 (26 photos); DLC/PP-1995:051 (12 photos), DLC/PP-1996:034 (24 photos)
- Gift; Anne Sekaer DeMunn; 1991-1995; (DLC/PP-1991:275 (12 photos), DLC/PP-1995:047 (12 photos), DLC/PP-1995:048 (10 photos).
Online Content
To see already digitized images from this collection, search our Online Catalog by call number or descriptive words.
Processing History
The Peter Sekaer photograph collection includes a range of photographs acquired by the Library between 1976 and 1996. The photographs were processed into a single LOT by Prints and Photographs staff in 2009. This finding aid contains unverified data from old container lists converted to EAD and encoded by Leah Rios in August 2020.
Genre / Form
Topical
- African Americans--Economic & social conditions--1930-1940.
- City & town life--United States--1930-1940.
- Commercial facilities--United States--1930-1940.
- Houses--United States--1930-1940.
- Housing--United States--1930-1940.
- Poor persons--United States--1930-1940.
- Slums--United States--1930-1940.
- Working class--United States--1930-1940.
- Title
- Peter Sekaer photograph collection
- Subtitle
- Architecture, housing and urban conditions in the United States
- Author
- Prepared by the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress
- Date
- 2020
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Part of the Prints & Photographs Division Repository
Prints & Photographs Reading Room
101 Independence Ave, SE
James Madison Building, LM 337
Washington, DC 20540-4730
(202) 707-6394