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
after 1970
maker
VIEW-MASTER
ID Number
2017.0097.0007
accession number
2017.0097
catalog number
2017.0097.0007
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
before 1907
ID Number
2018.0166.0084
catalog number
2018.0166.0084
accession number
2018.0166
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1970-1980s
maker
Baughman, J. Ross
ID Number
2010.0231.01.040
catalog number
2010.0231.01.040
accession number
2010.0231
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2013-04 through 2013-06
maker
Drew, Ed
ID Number
2017.0220.0003
accession number
2017.0220
catalog number
2017.0220.0003
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2009-01
Associated Name
Obama, Barack H.
maker
Ficara, John
ID Number
2010.0172.01
catalog number
2010.0172.01
accession number
2010.0172
portrait of an African-American woman; black and white bust length portrait of a woman wearing a dark jacket with white faux fur at collar, lighter colored button down shirt underneath; her hair is partially pulled back and curled; painted backdrop; photoboothCurrently not on vie
Description (Brief)
portrait of an African-American woman; black and white bust length portrait of a woman wearing a dark jacket with white faux fur at collar, lighter colored button down shirt underneath; her hair is partially pulled back and curled; painted backdrop; photobooth
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2019.0013.0008
accession number
2019.0013
catalog number
2019.0013.0008
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
maker
Zalesky, Roy Joseph
ID Number
2017.0306.0095
catalog number
2017.0306.0095
accession number
2017.0306
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2013.0327.1203
accession number
2013.0327
catalog number
2013.0327.1203
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2017.0037.0030
catalog number
2017.0037.0030
accession number
2017.0037
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
maker
Zalesky, Roy Joseph
ID Number
2017.0306.0054
catalog number
2017.0306.0054
accession number
2017.0306
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1944-1945
maker
Anonymous
ID Number
2013.0327.1204
accession number
2013.0327
catalog number
2013.0327.1204
mounted and matted, selenium toned, gelatin silver print by Neil MaurerCurrently not on view
Description (Brief)
mounted and matted, selenium toned, gelatin silver print by Neil Maurer
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1971
maker
Maurer, Neil
ID Number
2021.0060.0005
accession number
2021.0060
catalog number
2021.0060.0005
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Zalesky, Roy Joseph
ID Number
2017.0306.0035
accession number
2017.0306
catalog number
2017.0306.0035
people at Christmas; color photograph of an African-American girl seated on the floor underneath a Christmas tree holding a Bugs Bunny doll, open gifts on floor and chair around herCurrently not on view
Description (Brief)
people at Christmas; color photograph of an African-American girl seated on the floor underneath a Christmas tree holding a Bugs Bunny doll, open gifts on floor and chair around her
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2019.0012.0034
catalog number
2019.0012.0034
accession number
2019.0012
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Zalesky, Roy Joseph
ID Number
2017.0306.0061
catalog number
2017.0306.0061
accession number
2017.0306
black and white photograph; at left an African-American woman is holding an African-American baby girl in her arms, she is waiting and standing on a street corner; a caucasian man in a suit is standing just next to the street corner in a cross walk looking to his right at oncomin
Description (Brief)
black and white photograph; at left an African-American woman is holding an African-American baby girl in her arms, she is waiting and standing on a street corner; a caucasian man in a suit is standing just next to the street corner in a cross walk looking to his right at oncoming traffic; an African-American man is leaning against the corner of a brick building, looking at the woman or baby; buildings in background with skywalk connecting two buildings across the street from one another; cars driving down street
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
maker
Zalesky, Roy Joseph
ID Number
2017.0306.0009
catalog number
2017.0306.0009
accession number
2017.0306
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1970
maker
Zalesky, Roy Joseph
ID Number
2017.0306.0082
catalog number
2017.0306.0082
accession number
2017.0306
black and white photograph; young African American boy holding up a filleted fish by the tail; bicycle on ground in backgroundCurrently not on view
Description (Brief)
black and white photograph; young African American boy holding up a filleted fish by the tail; bicycle on ground in background
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Zalesky, Roy Joseph
ID Number
2017.0306.0121
accession number
2017.0306
catalog number
2017.0306.0121
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2015.0074.0121
catalog number
2015.0074.0121
accession number
2015.0074
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
maker
Zalesky, Roy Joseph
ID Number
2017.0306.0033
accession number
2017.0306
catalog number
2017.0306.0033
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2017.0281.0110
accession number
2017.0281
catalog number
2017.0281.0110
black and white full length studio portrait of two women; woman on left is wearing a dark skirt with dark jacket with white buttons, white gloves and a dark hat; woman on right is wearing a light colored skirt and jacket of same color with puffy sleeves and black buttons and dark
Description (Brief)
black and white full length studio portrait of two women; woman on left is wearing a dark skirt with dark jacket with white buttons, white gloves and a dark hat; woman on right is wearing a light colored skirt and jacket of same color with puffy sleeves and black buttons and dark hat; painted palm tree backdrop; African American women
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2019.0013.0019
accession number
2019.0013
catalog number
2019.0013.0019
two black and white photographs mounted on black, perforated construction paper; recto (1968) - three young boys riding bicycles on a sidewalk with a fourth boy walking behind them; verso (1969) one young boy riding a bicycle past a row of gasoline tanks at a filling stationCurre
Description (Brief)
two black and white photographs mounted on black, perforated construction paper; recto (1968) - three young boys riding bicycles on a sidewalk with a fourth boy walking behind them; verso (1969) one young boy riding a bicycle past a row of gasoline tanks at a filling station
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1967-1969
maker
Zalesky, Roy Joseph
ID Number
2017.0306.0149
accession number
2017.0306
catalog number
2017.0306.0149
color snapshot, self-portrait of an African-American woman lying on freen carpeting, holding camera straight up and over faceCurrently not on view
Description (Brief)
color snapshot, self-portrait of an African-American woman lying on freen carpeting, holding camera straight up and over face
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2015.0074.0172
accession number
2015.0074
catalog number
2015.0074.0172

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