Historical Images Presentation:

Introduction Art Resource Library of Congress Getty/Hulton Military Image Bank Conclution Next >> << Back

The second, and perhaps one of the more widely known image sites I am reviewing, is the American Memory Collection by the Library of Congress (LOC). Unlike most other sites, the American Memory collection has many different ‘rooms’ that people can browse through. The rooms include, but are not limited to, Civil War Photos, Prints and Photographs, and many 19th Century newspapers such as Harper’s Monthly. They also have searchable areas for Maps, Music, and Time Periods. The LOC has recently changed their pages for these last mentioned items, so my snazzy links are different than before. I have not yet had a chance to learn the new format, and find it more difficult to locate the items I need. The usage rights are easy for the LOC because they are all free. The only time a user would have to pay the LOC for anything is if the item is not available online and a researcher has to find it and make a digital copy. The collection contains items from the before the Civil War, and continues through present day. The National Archives (NA) has a similar site to the LOC. The NA’s site is good, although much less usable. The returns from a search do not always contain an image, but a user is able to get information that is useful while at the Archives themselves. This is a good example of a website that can become much more relevant as more of the items are digitized and made accessible. When one goes to search for pictures at the Archives in College Park , MD , the vast expanse of data available is incredible. One day, hopefully soon, they will be able to streamline their search methods and remove the long-handedness needed to effectively use their materials.