Below you will find links to biographies, images, and more resources related to women photojournalists from the Library of Congress. Late 1800s and early 1900s Jessie Tarbox Beals (1870-1942) bio Ladies Behind the Lens Library of Congress Blog November 29, 2016 Birches at the Sprague Smith Studio (source record | curator note) More Jessie Tarbox Beals photographs Photographs by Jessie Tarbox Beals in New York newspapers historical newspaper coverage of Jessie Tarbox … [Read more...]
Primary Source Spotlight: Gordon Parks
February 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Gordon Parks was born on Nov. 30, 1912 and died on March 7, 2006. A highly influential photographer, he contributed to the Farm Security Administration, Life Magazine, and Vogue, and also wrote books and poetry, composed music, and directed movies. Gordon Parks photographs Trumpet Awards honorees Tom Bradley, Gordon Parks, Maya Angelou and others 1994 photograph Gordon Parks mention in The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.), 06 Nov. 1948 Gordon Parks in Today in History Gordon … [Read more...]
Guided Primary Source Analysis: Does the Camera Ever Lie?
September 14, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Zoom into a more detailed image of this newspaper page from 1901. Read only the headline and image captions. Then carefully review the images and make an educated guess about what the article will discuss. Now read the article. How does it answer the question posed in the title? What evidence is provided to support this view? Do you agree with this view? Why or why not? How do cameras "lie" today? Provide at least two examples and discuss what it means for consumers of visual … [Read more...]
Today in History: Billy Bitzer & the Biograph Company
April 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–April 28–the Library of Congress features Billy Bitzer, who filmed the short comedy Stealing a Dinner for the American Mutoscope & Biograph Company on this date in 1899. Bitzer was a great pioneer of early film and shot thousands of movies, including the infamous The Birth of a Nation. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to view some of these early films and more related resources. "Billy" Bitzer films Stealing a Dinner from … [Read more...]
Today in History: Mathew Brady
February 27, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–February 27–the Library of Congress features Mathew Brady who photographed presidential hopeful Abraham Lincoln before a speech on this day in 1860. At successful studio photographer, Brady set out to document the people, places and events of the Civil War. The historical impact of the endeavor is priceless but at the time, left him penniless. Find out more about the father of photojournalism by visiting the Today in History section and clicking the links below. Mathew B. … [Read more...]
Today in History: Walker Evans
July 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–July 16–the Library of Congress features photojournalist Walker Evans. On this date in 1936 Evans took a leave of absence from from the Farm Security Administration (FSA) to accept a summer assignment with Fortune magazine. Evans and writer James McGee worked together to document the lives of sharecropper families in Alabama, which would eventually be published in the book, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links … [Read more...]
Today in History: Dorothea Lange
October 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–October 11–the Library of Congress features photographer Dorothea Lange, who died on this day in 1965. Best known for her "Migrant Mother" photo, Lange began her career as a studio photographer. During the Depression she took her camera to the street, photographing the homeless. These images led to her employment with the federal Resettlement Administration (RA), and its successor agency, the Farm Security Administration (FSA). Learn more about this Lange by visiting … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Capturing Character on Camera
July 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Today in History section for July 10 features Jelly Roll Morton, one of jazz music's primary influences. From 1938 to 1948, William P. Gottlieb took over 1600 photographs of celebrated jazz artists. Carl Van Vechten also took a similar number of photographs of celebrities, including many figures from the Harlem Renaissance. The Library has two great resources for learning about the art of photography and how photographers capture and present a music performer's character on camera, which we … [Read more...]
Today in History: Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre
November 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Today in History–November 18–the Library of Congress features French photography pioneer Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, born on this day in 1789. The daguerreotype was a convenient and effective process which rapidly gained in the United States. Learn more about Daguerre and the daguerreotype by visiting the Today in History section and following the links below. America's First Look into the Camera: Daguerreotype Portraits and Views, 1839-1862 This collection consists of more than 725 … [Read more...]
Primary Source Learning: Veteran Teaching Resources & Strategies
November 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment
"The Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war." The Teaching with the Library of Congress blog provides some great starting points for using the Veterans History Project in class activities. More veteran-related primary source and teaching resources are listed below. Veterans' oral history … [Read more...]
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