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.

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1992
associated date
1993
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2018.0193.0004
accession number
2018.0193
catalog number
2018.0193.0004
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1994 (Negative)
2011 (Print)
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2013.0148.04
catalog number
2013.0148.04
accession number
2013.0148
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1992
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2018.0194.0004
accession number
2018.0194
catalog number
2018.0194.0004
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1974 (negative), 2003 (print)
1979 (negative), 2003 (print)
depicted (sitter)
Bare, Bobby
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.001
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.001
One of the most recognizable figures in country music, Porter Wagoner was known as the "Thin Man from West Plains, Missouri." He began recording music in 1954 after several years of singing on a local radio station. In 1961, Wagoner (b.
Description
One of the most recognizable figures in country music, Porter Wagoner was known as the "Thin Man from West Plains, Missouri." He began recording music in 1954 after several years of singing on a local radio station. In 1961, Wagoner (b. 1927) began to host his own country music television show, which was syndicated for 21 years.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Wagoner, Porter
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.022
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.022
Loretta Lynn is a classic country singer whose life--from her autobiography, Coal Miner's Daughter--is a well-known story. She was one of the first stars to sing with a feminist point of view.
Description
Loretta Lynn is a classic country singer whose life--from her autobiography, Coal Miner's Daughter--is a well-known story. She was one of the first stars to sing with a feminist point of view. Her songs, like "Don't Come Home a-Drinkin' (with Lovin' on Your Mind)" and "The Pill," broke new ground in country music. Lynn (b. 1935) and Conway Twitty were named Vocal Duo of the Year by the Country Music Association for years in a row in the early 1970s.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1971
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Lynn, Loretta
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.011
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.011
Jimmy Martin (James Henry Martin, 1927-2005) has been described as "the king" of the bluegrass lead singers. Early in his career, Martin played and wrote with Bill Monroe, and worked briefly with the Osborne Brothers.
Description
Jimmy Martin (James Henry Martin, 1927-2005) has been described as "the king" of the bluegrass lead singers. Early in his career, Martin played and wrote with Bill Monroe, and worked briefly with the Osborne Brothers. In 1955 he began to lead his own group, the Sunny Mountain Boys.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Martin, Jimmy
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.012
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.012
Photographed backstage, "Harmonica" Frank Floyd (1908-1984) was an entertainer for the better part of the 20th century. After running away from home at age twelve, he began playing harmonica in carnivals and medicine shows.
Description
Photographed backstage, "Harmonica" Frank Floyd (1908-1984) was an entertainer for the better part of the 20th century. After running away from home at age twelve, he began playing harmonica in carnivals and medicine shows. His repertoire included jokes, tricks, songs, and stories.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1973
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Floyd, Frank
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.006
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.006
Roscoe Holcomb (1911-1981) embodied the "high, lonesome sound" of traditional Appalachian songs. A banjo player and singer, he spent most of his life in the small town of Daisy, Kentucky, working for a living with no aspirations to become a star.
Description
Roscoe Holcomb (1911-1981) embodied the "high, lonesome sound" of traditional Appalachian songs. A banjo player and singer, he spent most of his life in the small town of Daisy, Kentucky, working for a living with no aspirations to become a star. Smithsonian folklorist John Cohen recorded Holcomb at home in 1959. That recording led to performances at bluegrass festivals and an international tour with the Stanley Brothers.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.028
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.028
Talented on many instruments--guitar, fiddle, harmonica, drums--Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (1924-2005) was one of the most versatile musicians of his time. Defying easy categorization, Gatemouth said he just wanted to play American music "Texas-style."Currently not on view
Description
Talented on many instruments--guitar, fiddle, harmonica, drums--Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (1924-2005) was one of the most versatile musicians of his time. Defying easy categorization, Gatemouth said he just wanted to play American music "Texas-style."
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1976
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Brown, Clarence
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.003
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.003
Doc Watson (Arthel Lane Watson, b. 1923), blind since his early life, achieved national acclaim primarily as a result of his involvement in the folk song revival of the 1960s.
Description
Doc Watson (Arthel Lane Watson, b. 1923), blind since his early life, achieved national acclaim primarily as a result of his involvement in the folk song revival of the 1960s. Watson remained a powerful influence in many different forms of acoustic music, including blues, old time, country, and bluegrass. His, son Merle (1946-1985), frequently performed on guitar with him until his untimely death in a tractor accident.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.024
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.024
Del McCoury's voice is known as one of the finest examples of traditional bluegrass's "high lonesome" sound. Delano Floyd McCoury (b.1939) got his first big break in 1963 when Bill Monroe hired McCoury's band to play a few shows.
Description
Del McCoury's voice is known as one of the finest examples of traditional bluegrass's "high lonesome" sound. Delano Floyd McCoury (b.1939) got his first big break in 1963 when Bill Monroe hired McCoury's band to play a few shows. McCoury briefly joined Monroe's band, but returned to a successful career with his own group. He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2004.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1975
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.013
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.013
Beginning in 1936, brothers Earl (1919-1998) and Bill Bolick (b. 1917), known for their intricate melodies on guitar and mandolin, influenced many other duet performers.
Description
Beginning in 1936, brothers Earl (1919-1998) and Bill Bolick (b. 1917), known for their intricate melodies on guitar and mandolin, influenced many other duet performers. The Blue Sky Boys retired in 1951, but returned to performing in 1962, drawn by the rising interest in folk and traditional country music.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1974
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.002
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.002
Waylon Jennings's first single, the Cajun song "Jole Blon," was produced by Buddy Holly in 1958. Jennings (1937-2002) moved to a more hardcore country sound by the 1970s.
Description
Waylon Jennings's first single, the Cajun song "Jole Blon," was produced by Buddy Holly in 1958. Jennings (1937-2002) moved to a more hardcore country sound by the 1970s. Rejecting slick commercial conventions of the time and demanding more control of his music, Jennings's professional and personal lifestyle personified what became known as the Outlaw Country movement.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1975
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Jennings, Waylon
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.029
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.029
Named after his Civil War ancestor, Stonewall Jackson (b. 1932) began performing professionally in the 1950s. Thanks to tour with Ernest Tubb, Jackson had a string of hits from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s.Currently not on view
Description
Named after his Civil War ancestor, Stonewall Jackson (b. 1932) began performing professionally in the 1950s. Thanks to tour with Ernest Tubb, Jackson had a string of hits from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Jackson, Stonewall
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.008
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.008
Dolly Parton joined Porter Wagoner and the Wagonmasters in 1967. She launched her solo career in 1974.Currently not on view
Description
Dolly Parton joined Porter Wagoner and the Wagonmasters in 1967. She launched her solo career in 1974.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1972
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Parton, Dolly
Wagoner, Porter
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.018
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.018
Henry Horenstein photographed Ricky Skaggs (b. 1954) several times as a member of Emmylou Harris's Hot Band and as a memeber of J. D. Crowe & the New South.
Description
Henry Horenstein photographed Ricky Skaggs (b. 1954) several times as a member of Emmylou Harris's Hot Band and as a memeber of J. D. Crowe & the New South. A multi-talented singer and instrumentalist, Ricky Skaggs's success helped inspire the new traditionalist movement, and was largely responsible for a back-to-basics movement in country music.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
1980
print
2003
depicted (sitter)
Skaggs, Ricky
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.020
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.020
Fans cover the hillside enjoying the performance of J.D. Crowe (b.1937) and his band, The New South.Currently not on view
Description
Fans cover the hillside enjoying the performance of J.D. Crowe (b.1937) and his band, The New South.
Location
Currently not on view
negative
n.d.
print
2003
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2003.0169.009
accession number
2003.0169
catalog number
2003.0169.009

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