Photography - Overview

The millions of photographs in the Museum's collections compose a vast mosaic of the nation's history. Photographs accompany most artifact collections. Thousands of images document engineering projects, for example, and more record the steel, petroleum, and railroad industries.
Some 150,000 images capture the history, art, and science of photography. Nineteenth-century photography, from its initial development by W. H. F. Talbot and Louis Daguerre, is especially well represented and includes cased images, paper photographs, and apparatus. Glass stereographs and news-service negatives by the Underwood & Underwood firm document life in America between the 1890s and the 1930s. The history of amateur photography and photojournalism are preserved here, along with the work of 20th-century masters such as Richard Avedon and Edward Weston. Thousands of cameras and other equipment represent the technical and business side of the field.
"Photography - Overview" showing 1000 items.
Page 1 of 100
[Young man inspecting color prints in drying rack in darkroom : color photonegative, ca. 1955-60.]
- Summary
- No ink on negative. Man looking at photographic prints in the Scurlock Studios. "Kodak Safety Film" edge imprint. No Scurlock number
- Cite as
- Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1955
- 1960
- ca 1955-60
- Ca. 1955-60
- 20th century
- 1950-1960
- photographers
- Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)
- Local number
- AC0618.005.0000020.tif (AC Scan)
- Box 618.05.1
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
[Young man in darkroom with processing trays in darkroom : color photonegative.]
- Summary
- No ink on negative, no Scurlock number. Young man wearing rubber gloves, standing next to processing trays at Scurlock Studios. "Kodak Safety Film" edge imprint
- Cite as
- Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1955
- 1960
- 1955-60
- 20th century
- 1950-1960
- photographers
- Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)
- Local number
- AC0618.005.0000021.tif (AC Scan No.)
- Box 618.05.1
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
[Exterior of Capitol School of Photography : color transparency.]
- Summary
- No ink on negative. No edge imprint. No Scurlock number
- Cite as
- Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1948
- 1952
- 20th century
- photographers
- Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)
- Subject
- Capitol School of Photography
- Local number
- AC0618.005.0000045.tif (AC Scan No.)
- Box 618.05.2
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
[Unidentified photographic studio, but probably the Scurlock Studio : cellulose acetate photonegative]
- Summary
- With bust, lights, bench and backdrop. Pencil on negative: "3 -". "KODAK - SAFETY 456" edge imprint
- Cite as
- Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1930
- 1960
- [n.d.]
- 20th century
- photographers
- Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)
- film manufacturer
- Eastman Kodak Co
- Local number
- Box 618.04.94
- AC0618.004.0000968.tif (scan number)
- No Scurlock number
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
[Press cutting regarding Robert Scurlock's exhibition of work, 1961, copy negative : cellulose acetate photonegative]
- Summary
- Copy negative of press cutting regarding the selection of Robert Scurlock's photograph for exhibition at the 70th Annual Exposition of Professional Photography and the 9th National Industrial Photographic Conference in New York, 1961. No ink on negative. "KODAK - - SAFETY - - FILM" edge imprint. No Scurlock number
- Cite as
- Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1961
- 1960-1970
- photographers
- Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)
- film manufacturer
- Eastman Kodak Co
- Subject
- Scurlock, Robert S [Saunders] 1917-1994
- Local number
- Box 618.04.90
- AC0618.004.0000969.tif (scan number)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
Addison N. Scurlock at work making a portrait in his studio, 900 U St. N.W. Wash. D.C. [photoprint], about 1957 [sic]
- Summary
- Scurlock is adjusting a light on a young male subject. Print, on a single-weight paper, is captioned as above, and also bears a studio stamp
- Date
- 1951
- about 1957 sic
- 20th century
- 1950-1960
- photographers
- Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)
- Subject
- Scurlock, Addison N. 1883-1964
- Local number
- 2008-4914 (SI Neg.)
- AC0618.001.0000017.tif (AC Scan no.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
[Interior of Scurlock Studio : color photonegative.]
- Summary
- No ink on negative. Interior of the second floor of the Scurlock Studio; props set up for photographing. "Ansco Safety Film" edge imprint
- Cite as
- Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1940
- 1960
- 20th century
- photographers
- Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)
- Local number
- AC0618.005.0000046.tif (AC Scan)
- Box 618.05.2
- No Scurlock number
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
Publicity Shots [for Capitol School of Photography : cellulose acetate photonegative, ca. 1948-1952]
- Summary
- Group of men in studio at Capitol School of Photography. A woman is posing for a photograph. No ink on negative. "KODAK - SAFETY 98" edge imprint
- Cite as
- Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1948
- 1952
- ca 1948-1952
- 20th century
- photographers
- Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)
- film manufacturer
- Eastman Kodak Co
- Subject
- Capitol School of Photography
- Local number
- Box 618.04.91
- AC0618.004.0000907.tif (scan number)
- No Scurlock number
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
Publicity Shots [for Capitol School of Photography : cellulose acetate photonegative]
- Summary
- Two men viewing negatives in the Capitol School of Photography. No ink on negative. "KODAK - SAFETY 98" edge imprint
- Cite as
- Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1930
- 1960
- [n.d.]
- 20th century
- photographers
- Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)
- film manufacturer
- Eastman Kodak Co
- Subject
- Capitol School of Photography
- Local number
- Box 618.04.91
- AC0618.004.0000908.tif (scan number)
- No Scurlock number
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
Publicity Shots [for Capitol School of Photography : cellulose acetate photonegative]
- Summary
- Man adjusting a camera for still life shot. No ink on negative. "KODAK - - SAFETY - - FILM" edge imprint
- Cite as
- Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1930
- 1960
- [n.d.]
- 20th century
- photographers
- Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)
- film manufacturer
- Eastman Kodak Co
- Subject
- Capitol School of Photography
- Local number
- Box 618.04.91
- AC0618.004.0000909.tif (scan number)
- No Scurlock number
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH

