Facial Hair Friday: Ansel Adams—Photographer of the American West

September 10, 2019, marks the 40th anniversary of Ansel Adams’s visit to the National Archives. Today's post comes from Vincent Bartholomew in the National Archives History Office. Ansel Adams visits the National Archives to look at some of his work, September 10, 1979. (Records of the National Archives) A keen landscape photographer, the always-bearded Adams … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Ansel Adams—Photographer of the American West

Edith Lee-Payne: Accidental civil rights icon

This post comes to us from summer intern Hannah Fenster. When Edith Lee-Payne stepped into the lobby of the National Archives last week, she came from a morning full of press interviews and national monument visits. But the whirlwind of her recent rise to fame slowed when she entered the Rotunda to view a photograph … Continue reading Edith Lee-Payne: Accidental civil rights icon

Documerica: Seeing the Seventies More Clearly

Today's blog post comes from Hannah Fenster, summer intern with the Public Affairs Office. Ever wonder why your photographs of the 1970s are slowly changing color? Hint: They don’t want makeovers or need more fuchsia in their lives. More likely, their aging appearances come from the original film type and from years of storage at … Continue reading Documerica: Seeing the Seventies More Clearly

Jack Corn, DOCUMERICA Photographer

Today's post comes from Nikita Buley, an intern in the National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications. Jack Corn, a retired photojournalist and professor, came to visit the "Searching for the Seventies" exhibit here at the National Archives, bringing along his family and one of his former students. Why? He was one of the 70 … Continue reading Jack Corn, DOCUMERICA Photographer

Facial Hair Friday: Portrait of the Artist with a Mustache

This self portrait, with carefully groomed mustache in the center, is a glamorous photo of a hardworking, groundbreaking photographer. James Stephen "Steve" Wright was from a working-class family in Washington, DC. By the 1940s he was head of photographic operations for the Federal Works Agency. But like many young black men at the time, he … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Portrait of the Artist with a Mustache

Say cheese, Mr. President: White House photographers at the Truman Library

Only 43 men in the history of the United States have held the title of President. That's a fairly small group , smaller than your average NFL team. But smaller still is the group of professionals who have held the title as the President's chief photographer. To date, only nine men have served as the official White … Continue reading Say cheese, Mr. President: White House photographers at the Truman Library