The Library of Congress collaborated with Flickr in 2007 to launch the Commons with the mission of providing another outlet for copyright free images from its collections and the goal of enjoining the Flickr community to contribute information about the sources: “Please help make the photographs you enjoy more discoverable by adding tags and leaving comments. Your contributions and knowledge make these photos even richer.” Starting out with 3,100 images, the Library photostream has more than … [Read more...]
Primary Source Spotlight: Henry Creamer & Turner Layton
February 20, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Song recordings After you've gone Childhood days Dear old Southland Everybody's crazy 'bout the doggone blues, but I'm happy Goodbye Alexander, goodbye honey boy If you'll come back I'm waiting for you, 'Liza Jane I've got the finest man Jubilee blues Oh! Frenchy! Strut Miss Lizzie Sweet Emalina, my gal Sweet mamma (Papa's getting mad) Sweet 'n' pretty That's the doctor, Bill Way down yonder in New Orleans When the shadows softly come and go … [Read more...]
Primary Source Spotlight: Music
June 13, 2019 by Leave a Comment
National Jukebox PSN curated primary source sets American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Marian Anderson California Folk Music Project George M. Cohan Aaron Copland Duke Ellington James Reese Europe Ella Fitzgerald George Gershwin & Gullah Culture Dizzy Gillespie W.C. Handy & the Blues Victor Herbert Billie Holiday Jazz Music Julia Ward Howe Mahalia Jackson Louis Jordan Jenny Lind Metropolitan Opera House … [Read more...]
Collection Spotlight: All American News
February 7, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Spanning from 1942-45, All-American news were the first newsreels produced for a black audience and were originally intended to encourage black Americans to participate in, and support the war effort, as well as to reflect an African-American perspective on world and national events. 1942 All-American news [1942-08]: includes segments about a Baltimore merchant marine who survived when his ship was sunk and the Navy's Great Lakes Band. 1944 All American news III [1944-03]: includes … [Read more...]
Primary Source Spotlight: Spring
April 17, 2017 by 1 Comment
Children of Spring 1888 verses and color illustrations Spring 1892 book of poetry Springtime and Other Verses 1910 The Springtime of Love and Other Poems 1914 Spring: historical newspaper articles & advertisements Spring oral history audio recordings Spring song recordings Springtime song recordings Spring sheet music Springtime sheet music Spring image set Springtime image set Library blog posts An 'Appalachian Spring' Collaboration In the Muse … [Read more...]
Primary Source Spotlight: James Reese Europe
February 23, 2017 by Leave a Comment
James Reese Europe biography African-American History Month: James Reese Europe In the Muse blog February 24, 2010 James Reese Europe images Ragtime Dance: Castle Walk film Ragtime Dance: One Step Variation film James Reese Europe song recordings James Reese Europe sheet music James Reese Europe: timeline & select newspaper articles More James Reese Europe historic newspaper coverage Clef Club historic newspaper coverage 369th Infantry historic newspaper … [Read more...]
Primary Source Learning: African American History & Culture
February 21, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Primary Source sets with teacher guides Baseball: Across a Divided Society Harlem Renaissance Jim Crow in America The NAACP: A Century in the Fight for Freedom Featured Source guided primary source analysis activities Afro-American Monument An airship with a “Jim Crow” trailer The Brownies’ Book Condition of the descendants of former African slaves The constitutional amendment Jesse Owens President Obama’s 2016 State of the Union Address Tree of … [Read more...]
Primary Source Spotlight: Jazz Music
February 24, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Jazz audio recordings Jazz webcasts and performance videos Jazz image set Gottlieb jazz photos on Flickr "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free" images & score Jazz sheet music Jazz life histories Jazz Chicago 1 Jazz Chicago 2 Jazz Chicago style Jazz Singers online exhibition Jazz magazine clippings from the William P. Gottlieb collection Historical newspaper coverage: jazz More jazz texts Influence of Jazz on Modern Music … [Read more...]
Integrating Technology: Linking Primary Sources to Literature
November 17, 2015 by 1 Comment
This is a guest post by Ruth Ferris, an elementary school librarian from Billings, Montana, and a grantee in the TPS Regional Grant Program. It is always a pleasure when I can connect my love of books with my love of history, seasoned with technology. One favorite tool is ThingLink, which allows you to take a picture and embed links to other types of media within the picture. I live in Montana and most of my students are more familiar with country music than jazz music. So how do I … [Read more...]
Today in History: Jelly Roll Morton
July 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–July 10–the Library of Congress features jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton, who died on this day in 1941. Born Ferdinand Joseph La Menthe in New Orleans, Louisiana, Morton billed himself as "Jelly Roll" while playing minstrel and vaudeville shows. In addition to jazz, Morton also played ragtime, blues and spirituals. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to access more jazz resources from the Library. Jelly Roll Morton from America's … [Read more...]
Louisiana Purchase Treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate. Check out our