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Architecture, Design and Engineering Collections in the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division

Thematic Collections

The Prints & Photographs Division began to invest deeply in architectural documentation in 1930, when it initiated the Pictorial Archives of Early American Architecture (PAEAA) and acquired photographic negatives of historic buildings from many different contributors. This work expanded with the establishment of the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1933, the Historic American Engineering Record in 1969, and the Historic American Landscapes Survey in 2000.

Additionally the Library has accepted documentary photographic surveys carried out by others, such as the Seagram County Court House Archives, the American Firehouse Survey, and the John Margolies coverage of roadside America. Additional examples of thematic collections include materials compiled by a collector such as the Louis A. Marré; rail transportation collection; postcards of churches, covered bridges, and the Russian Empire; and regional geographic coverage. Small collections related to single buildings and cities are numerous, and are represented only selectively in this guide. The entries in this section are arranged alphabetically by subject matter.

Thematic Collections include:

Each collection is briefly described below. Primary links display fuller bibliographic information about the collection in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog if available. Links are provided to digitized primary source content, finding aid and research guide for the collection, collection overview of the Collection, and background information page when available. The background information page includes more inks to the left side under "This Collection." Additional links to related secondary sources are provided below each collection description, followed by books, periodicals, dissertations & theses, articles & blogs, and webcasts related to each collection when available.

American Buildings, Engineering Works, and Landscape Sites—Historic American Buildings Survey (1933-present) / Historic American Engineering Record (1969-present) / Historic American Landscapes Survey (2000-present)

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

The Picture This blog invites you to share our love of pictures and the stories they can tell. Produced by specialists from the Prints & Photographs Division, you’ll see unique images and pictorial collections available to researchers at the Library of Congress—more than 14.5 million photos, posters, cartoons, architectural designs, and historical and fine art prints, many of which are available online.

The following videos include presentations from a day-long symposium that celebrated the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), held at the Library of Congress on November 14, 2008. The Library’s webcasts provide opportunities to learn more about the Library collections and special subjects, through recording of talks by creators, authors, and Library specialists.  About 400,000 programs have been recorded and nearly 10,000 are available online.

Cemeteries: Silent Cities Photograph Collection (1970s-1980s)

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Churches: Werner E. Webber Postcard Collection (1907-1970)

Cityscape and Landscape: Patrick Alt Photograph Collection (1990-2011)

Civil War Military Construction and Transportation (1863)

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

County Court Houses: Seagram Archive (1974-1977)

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

Courthouse Photographs: Donald E. Schomacker Collection (1911-1990, bulk 1970-1990)

Covered Bridges: Frederick Wunsch Collection (1947-1992)

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

Early American Architecture, Pictorial Archive (PAEAA) (1905-1948, bulk 1930-1938)

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

East Germany Photos (1980-1990)

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

European Architecture: Königliche Preussische Messbildanstalt Collection (1882-1907)

Federal Architecture Project (1930-1945)

Firehouses: American Firehouse Survey (1978-1979)

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

French Renaissance and Baroque Architecture Design: Marie Collection (1910?-1950?)

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Garden Lantern Slide Series in the Frances B. Johnston Collection (1915-1930s)

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Dissertations and theses listed below are accessible via ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (On-site access only). If you are searching at the Library of Congress or an institution which subscribes to the Database, clicking the hyperlink will bring you directly to the publication. Abstracts are retrieved from the Database when available.

The following videos include presentations related to a book Gardens for a beautiful America 1895-1935: photographs by Frances Benjamin Johnston by Sam Watters. The Library’s webcasts provide opportunities to learn more about the Library collections and special subjects, through recording of talks by creators, authors, and Library specialists.  About 400,000 programs have been recorded and nearly 10,000 are available online.

Government Building Architectural Drawings from the U.S. Department of the Treasury (1852-1874)

Hispanic: Archive of Hispanic Culture (1880-1947, bulk 1940-1947)

Libraries: Global Library Project (2016-2019)

Libraries: The Global Library Project related resources

The Picture This blog invites you to share our love of pictures and the stories they can tell. Produced by specialists from the Prints & Photographs Division, you’ll see unique images and pictorial collections available to researchers at the Library of Congress—more than 14.5 million photos, posters, cartoons, architectural designs, and historical and fine art prints, many of which are available online.

Libraries: “Public Library: An American Commons" Collection (1995-2013)

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

The Picture This blog invites you to share our love of pictures and the stories they can tell. Produced by specialists from the Prints & Photographs Division, you’ll see unique images and pictorial collections available to researchers at the Library of Congress—more than 14.5 million photos, posters, cartoons, architectural designs, and historical and fine art prints, many of which are available online.

Library of Congress Architectural Drawings (1889-1896)

The Picture This blog invites you to share our love of pictures and the stories they can tell. Produced by specialists from the Prints & Photographs Division, you’ll see unique images and pictorial collections available to researchers at the Library of Congress—more than 14.5 million photos, posters, cartoons, architectural designs, and historical and fine art prints, many of which are available online.

Library of Congress Construction Photographs (1888-1895)

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

Dissertations and theses listed below are accessible via ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (On-site access only). If you are searching at the Library of Congress or an institution which subscribes to the Database, clicking the hyperlink will bring you directly to the publication. Abstracts are retrieved from the Database when available.

The Picture This blog invites you to share our love of pictures and the stories they can tell. Produced by specialists from the Prints & Photographs Division, you’ll see unique images and pictorial collections available to researchers at the Library of Congress—more than 14.5 million photos, posters, cartoons, architectural designs, and historical and fine art prints, many of which are available online.

Lincoln Memorial by Henry Bacon (1912-1917)

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

The Picture This blog invites you to share our love of pictures and the stories they can tell. Produced by specialists from the Prints & Photographs Division, you’ll see unique images and pictorial collections available to researchers at the Library of Congress—more than 14.5 million photos, posters, cartoons, architectural designs, and historical and fine art prints, many of which are available online.

Louisiana Purchase Exposition stereograph (1904)

Lower Manhattan: Destruction Photographs by Danny Lyon (1966-1967, printed in 2007)

Master Architectural Drawings: The Kenneth H. Walker Collection (1680-1980)

Missouri German Architecture: Paul Piaget-Charles Van Ravenswaay Collection (1940s-1970s)

Murals in the Library of Congress Jefferson Building: Conservation reports (1985-1994)

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Dissertations and theses listed below are accessible via ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (On-site access only). If you are searching at the Library of Congress or an institution which subscribes to the Database, clicking the hyperlink will bring you directly to the publication. Abstracts are retrieved from the Database when available.

The Picture This blog invites you to share our love of pictures and the stories they can tell. Produced by specialists from the Prints & Photographs Division, you’ll see unique images and pictorial collections available to researchers at the Library of Congress—more than 14.5 million photos, posters, cartoons, architectural designs, and historical and fine art prints, many of which are available online.

National Gallery of Art (1938-1940)

Related collections at LC (links go to catalog records):

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

Pentagon Construction Photos of Harold Lang (1939-1943)

The Picture This blog invites you to share our love of pictures and the stories they can tell. Produced by specialists from the Prints & Photographs Division, you’ll see unique images and pictorial collections available to researchers at the Library of Congress—more than 14.5 million photos, posters, cartoons, architectural designs, and historical and fine art prints, many of which are available online.

Railroad Photographs: Ara Mesrobian Collection (late 1930s to 1980s)

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Railroad Photographs: Frank Bibb Collection of Railroadiana of the 19th and 20th century (1880-1959)

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

Dissertations and theses listed below are accessible via ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (On-site access only). If you are searching at the Library of Congress or an institution which subscribes to the Database, clicking the hyperlink will bring you directly to the publication. Abstracts are retrieved from the Database when available.

Rail Transportation: Louis Marré Collection (1938-2005)

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

Dissertations and theses listed below are accessible via ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (On-site access only). If you are searching at the Library of Congress or an institution which subscribes to the Database, clicking the hyperlink will bring you directly to the publication. Abstracts are retrieved from the Database when available.

Roadside America: John Margolies Photograph Collection (1969-2008)

Related collections outside of LC (external link):

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

The Picture This blog invites you to share our love of pictures and the stories they can tell. Produced by specialists from the Prints & Photographs Division, you’ll see unique images and pictorial collections available to researchers at the Library of Congress—more than 14.5 million photos, posters, cartoons, architectural designs, and historical and fine art prints, many of which are available online.

The Library’s webcasts provide opportunities to learn more about the Library collections and special subjects, through recording of talks by creators, authors, and Library specialists.  About 400,000 programs have been recorded and nearly 10,000 are available online.

Russian Buildings: Brumfield (William C.) Photograph Collection (1987-2000)

Related collections outside of LC (external link):

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Russian Empire Postcards: Winokur-Munblit Collection (1895-1917, 1920s-1950s)

Service Stations: Carl A. Petersen Collection (ca. 1952-ca.1980)

Related collections at LC:

Southern Architecture: Carnegie Survey of the Architecture of the South (CSAS) (1920s-1940s, primarily 1930s)

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Dissertations and theses listed below are accessible via ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (On-site access only). If you are searching at the Library of Congress or an institution which subscribes to the Database, clicking the hyperlink will bring you directly to the publication. Abstracts are retrieved from the Database when available.

The Picture This blog invites you to share our love of pictures and the stories they can tell. Produced by specialists from the Prints & Photographs Division, you’ll see unique images and pictorial collections available to researchers at the Library of Congress—more than 14.5 million photos, posters, cartoons, architectural designs, and historical and fine art prints, many of which are available online.

Spanish architecture and painting: Gudiol Collection (ca. 1930-1940)

Theaters: Anthony Dumas Collection (1920s-1930s)

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

Transportation Commission Photograph Collection, World’s (1894-1896)

Union Station, Washington, DC, Drawings Collection (bulk 1903-1908, several later)

Related collections at LC (links go to catalog records):

  • Union Station, Washington, D.C. (Prints & Photographs Division Collection): Photographs show Union Station, Washington, D.C. Construction photographs of Burnham & Company. Later interior and exterior views.

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

U.S. Treasury Building Construction Photos (1857-1867)

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Records, Visual Materials (ca. 1980-1999)

Related collections at LC (links go to catalog records):

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Dissertations and theses listed below are accessible via ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (On-site access only). If you are searching at the Library of Congress or an institution which subscribes to the Database, clicking the hyperlink will bring you directly to the publication. Abstracts are retrieved from the Database when available.

Wallpaper Collection (1814-1853)

Washington, DC: Construction and Demolition Photographs by Carl Levin (1983-1992)

Washington, DC: Engineering Projects Directed by Montgomery Meigs (ca. 1852-1860)

Related collections at LC (links go to catalog records):

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

Dissertations and theses listed below are accessible via ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (On-site access only). If you are searching at the Library of Congress or an institution which subscribes to the Database, clicking the hyperlink will bring you directly to the publication. Abstracts are retrieved from the Database when available.

Washington, DC: James M. Goode Collection of Washington DC (ca.1850-ca. 1980)

Related collections at LC (links go to catalog records):

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Washington, DC, Region: Joseph S. Allen Collection (1930s-1970s)

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

World Trade Center: New Design Proposal Archive (2001-2002)

The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

World’s Columbian Exposition: Visual Materials (1890s)