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Material Culture: Resources in the American Folklife Center

Digital Collections

The Library of Congress has been digitizing unique primary source collection materials since the 1990's. The following digital collections focus on material culture from the perspective of folklorists and others who have documented both the creative processes and meanings informing physical objects. Across these featured collections various forms of material culture appear, including drawings of folk musical instruments; photographs of quilts, vernacular architecture, and folk art; and, drawings by grade school students commemorating the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

Selected Digital Collections

Special Presentation

Story Maps at the Library of Congress are immersive web presentations that tell the incredible stories of the Library’s collections through narrative, multimedia, and interactive maps. The American Folklife Center publishes Story Maps that provide curated access to our online collections. Across all of the field survey collections that this Story Map explores, there are numerous examples of material culture: tools, vernacular architecture, religious art, and everyday objects imbued with creative flair.