Photography

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.

Rudolf Eickemeyer, Jr. (1862–1932) used a wide variety of printing processes, printing out some negatives in more than one medium.
Description
Rudolf Eickemeyer, Jr. (1862–1932) used a wide variety of printing processes, printing out some negatives in more than one medium. In his lectures, he pointed out that this approach to photography was important because in the hands of a photographer who “lives and understands the infinitely varied moods of nature, photography can be made to express and interpret them.” In correspondence with Dr. Olmstead at the Smithsonian, as the presentation of his gifts and bequest to the museum was being arranged, Eickemeyer wrote: “The collection illustrates the use of every important process and will, I believe, be of real educational value.”
The first of the Eickemeyer photographic collection came to the National Museum’s Department of Arts and Industries (the “Castle”), Division of Graphic Arts in 1922 at the close of a large exhibition of Eickemeyer’s work at the Anderson Gallery in New York. It was a gift from the photographer of five framed prints from the New York show that he considered representative of his work.
In 1929, Eickemeyer gave the Smithsonian 83 framed prints (including copies of the prints that he had previously given the museum), 15 portfolios, his medals and awards, and several miscellaneous photographic paraphernalia. In 1930, he made a will bequeathing most of his remaining prints, negatives, photographic equipment and other objects relating to his 30-year career as a photographer to the Smithsonian Institution.
Upon Eickemeyer’s death in 1932, an accession consisting primarily of photographic equipment from his studio came to the Smithsonian. Included in the bequest were 2 cameras, several lenses, scales, timers, printing frames, plate holders, dry mounters and a lecture case with slide projector and hand-colored lantern slides. Also included were 43 albums, journals and portfolios and assorted negatives and contact prints, many marked “discards.” There are 58 albums, notebooks and portfolios in the collection. Eickemeyer requested in his will that his gifts and bequests be called The Rudolf Eickemeyer, Jr. Collection.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1909
maker
Eickemeyer, Jr., Rudolf
ID Number
PG.004135.B021.28
catalog number
4135.B21.28
accession number
128483
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1903
maker
Annan, James Craig
ID Number
PG.003454
accession number
67327
catalog number
3454
real photo postcard; papermaker - CykoHand written text on verso: "May 3, 1910 Wilkes-Barre staff of working me at Hospital -taken and given by Mr. Weaver-went and took pictures up Avery Mt. used this picture to drink out of-"Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
real photo postcard; papermaker - Cyko
Hand written text on verso: "May 3, 1910 Wilkes-Barre staff of working me at Hospital -taken and given by Mr. Weaver-went and took pictures up Avery Mt. used this picture to drink out of-"
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1910-05-03
after 1907
ID Number
1986.3048.0662
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.0662
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
before 1907
ID Number
1986.3048.0999
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.0999
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
maker
Muybridge, Eadweard
ID Number
PG.003856.1316
catalog number
3856.1316
accession number
98473
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
before 1907
ID Number
1986.3048.1774
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.1774
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
maker
Muybridge, Eadweard
ID Number
PG.003856.1301
accession number
98473
catalog number
3856.1301
real photo postcard; papermaker - Cyko; undivided backTen people (nine women and girls, one man) sitting on edge of porch under a banner in which only "Camp" is visible; Lanterns hang from roof; table in background with food related items on it. All smiling or laughing.
Description (Brief)
real photo postcard; papermaker - Cyko; undivided back
Ten people (nine women and girls, one man) sitting on edge of porch under a banner in which only "Camp" is visible; Lanterns hang from roof; table in background with food related items on it. All smiling or laughing. Some women with large straw hats.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1907
ID Number
1986.3048.1880
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.1880
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1907
ID Number
1986.3048.1051
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.1051
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1907
postmark date
1909/11/15
ID Number
1986.3048.1763
catalog number
1986.3048.1763
nonaccession number
1986.3048
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
before 1907
ID Number
1986.3048.0748
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.0748
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1903
ID Number
1984.0834.65
catalog number
1984.0834.65
accession number
1984.0834
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1907
ID Number
1986.3048.0850
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.0850
86.3048.850
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1902
Associated Date
1902
maker
Averill Publishing Co.
Cramer, William T.
ID Number
2015.0035.0019
accession number
2015.0035
catalog number
2015.0035.0019
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1958-04
maker
Avedon, Richard
ID Number
PG.66.64.040B
accession number
264003
catalog number
66.64
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1946-1948
1961-06
maker
Avedon, Richard
ID Number
PG.66.64.092B
accession number
264003
catalog number
66.64
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1907
ID Number
1986.3048.1863
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.1863
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1907
ID Number
1986.3048.0950
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.0950
86.3048.950
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1907
ID Number
1986.3048.0861
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.0861
86.3048.861
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
2012.0203.0084
accession number
2012.0203
catalog number
2012.0203.0084
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1907
ID Number
1986.3048.1528
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.1528
real photo postcard; photographer - C.M. Schooley, Candor, NY; papermaker - AzoCurrently not on view
Description (Brief)
real photo postcard; photographer - C.M. Schooley, Candor, NY; papermaker - Azo
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1907
ID Number
1986.3048.1882
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.1882
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1907
ID Number
1986.3048.1305
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.1305
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1907
ID Number
2017.0219.0115
accession number
2017.0219
catalog number
2017.0219.0115

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