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The Library of Congress provides several search systems for finding digitized images as well as descriptive information about images and image collections. The most useful search systems are described below along with special instructions for locating relevant images of presidential hopefuls. Be sure to read all information about rights and restrictions related to reuse of the images.
Many candidates' portraits can be both searched and viewed in the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC). In many cases, a description can be found, even if the material has not been digitized.
On the Portrait Gallery pages of this guide, a suggested search has been provided for each presidential candidate, which attempts to limit the search to portraits for which there are no known restrictions for usage. You may find additional results by adjusting the search terms that you use.
For example, searching "Dole, Robert J." will return fewer results than "Dole, Robert" with his middle initial omitted. "Bob Dole" will return results different than "Robert Dole."
Adding or removing the term "portrait" may also yield additional results, including, potentially, commentary materials, such as political cartoons and posters.
For also rans who also served as president: our collections are strongest in portraits of presidents from George Washington through Harry Truman. Presidential libraries can be helpful resources for presidents starting with Herbert Hoover.
In some cases, candidates who did not secure their party's nomination are well represented in the Prints & Photographs collections. Most notably, the Prints & Photographs Division holds extensive documentation of Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign by photographer Bruce Talamon. This collection has restrictions on publication, and Jackson did not receive his party's nomination, so he is not included in this guide. Other presidential hopefuls may exist in the collection. Search the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog, and review the guidance offered on this page for search tips.
On site in the Prints & Photographs Reading Room, you can find many additional presidential candidate portraits and images related to their lives. Among the collections to search, you can find also-rans who also served as president in the Presidential File. For candidates who served in Congress in the later half of the 20th century, search the Congressional Quarterly portion of CQ Roll Call Photograph Collection, which is available for browsing in the reading room. Other also-rans may be located in Biographical File Filing Series, also in the reading room. Other materials can be requested with call slips, such as illustrations in the Popular Graphic Art Print Filing Series, which include many portraits of presidential candidates. Hundreds of images of presidential "also rans" have not yet been digitized and must be accessed in person.
