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Collection Photo, Print, Drawing Specific Subject File filing series (Library of Congress)

[ original digital photo ]

Full online access to this resource is only available at the Library of Congress.

About this Item

Title

  • Specific Subject File filing series (Library of Congress)

Summary

  • Photographs series, about 20,000 items Includes single photographs showing many kinds of activities, events, objects, and structures. A sample of the subject categories for the letter "A" indicates the wide range of original and copy photographs: Accidents, African Americans, Aged, Air Mail Service, Amusement parks, Animals--Horses, Animals in Human Situations, Atomic Bomb, Automobile Racing, Automobiles, and Avalanches. Graphics series, about 500 items Includes documentary and topical images that are photocopies of prints, drawings, and book and magazine illustrations, dating from the 1400s to early 1900s, mostly from Library of Congress Collections.

Created / Published

  • 1850-1980, bulk 1870-1960.

Headings

  • -  Architecture--1850-1980
  • -  Disasters--1850-1980
  • -  Industry--1850-1980
  • -  People--1850-1980
  • -  Vehicles--1850-1980

Headings

  • Photographic prints--1850-1980.

Genre

  • Photographic prints--1850-1980

Notes

  • -  Arrangement: Organized in two series: photographs (call number prefix SSF) and graphics (call number SSF (GR)). Arrangement: This browsing file in the Prints & Photographs Division Reading Room is arranged alphabetically by subject terms from "Subject Headings used in the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division" (1980).
  • -  The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division began assembling this browsing file in the 1930s(?) to provide direct visual access to subjects other than portraits and views of places. Many photographs were received through copyright deposit. Another large source was illustrations from Encyclopedia Britannica yearbooks. Few new images have been added since 1990.
  • -  The Specific Subject Index (a 68-drawer card file) lists some of the items for which copy negatives have been made. Many items in the Specific Subject File have not been copied and are not included in this index.
  • -  Digitized images of more than 3,000 items in the file and their associated identifying information are available through the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog, by searching using the call number "SSF" or "SSF (GR)" https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html
  • -  Gift, purchase, and copyright deposit; various sources; 1800s to present.

Medium

  • ca. 20,000 photographic prints.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Guide Record (Filing series: SSF) [P&P]

Repository

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2005680325

Rights Advisory

Online Format

  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress generally does not own rights to material in its collections and, therefore, cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. For information about assessing rights, see the Rights and Restrictions Information page.

  • Rights Advisory: Publication rights status of individual images not evaluated. For general information see "Copyright and Other Restrictions ..." https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/195_copr.html
  • Reproduction Number: ---
  • Call Number: Guide Record (Filing series: SSF) [P&P]
  • Access Advisory: ---

Obtaining Copies

Generally, Guide Records describe large groups of items from which a selection must be made. The individual items in the group may or may not be represented online.

  1. 1. Determine whether the desired materials can be retrieved online.
    • Select the "About this Item" tab and look for a note about tools for searching the group
    • If there is a note such as "Digitized images of most prints along with associated descriptive information are available through the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog," try searching the name of the collection in Search All
    • Select the "Obtaining Copies" tab for any retrieved items that are of interest.
  2. 2. If the desired material cannot be retrieved online:

Access to Originals

Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm.

  1. Is the item digitized? (A thumbnail (small) image will be visible on the left.)

    • Yes, the item is digitized. Please use the digital image in preference to requesting the original. All images can be viewed at a large size when you are in any reading room at the Library of Congress. In some cases, only thumbnail (small) images are available when you are outside the Library of Congress because the item is rights restricted or has not been evaluated for rights restrictions.
      As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. If you have a compelling reason to see the original, consult with a reference librarian. (Sometimes, the original is simply too fragile to serve. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject to damage. They are also easier to see online where they are presented as positive images.)
    • No, the item is not digitized. Please go to #2.

  2. Do the Access Advisory or Call Number fields above indicate that a non-digital surrogate exists, such as microfilm or copy prints?

    • Yes, another surrogate exists. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate.
    • No, another surrogate does not exist. Please go to #3.
  3. If you do not see a thumbnail image or a reference to another surrogate, please fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. In many cases, the originals can be served in a few minutes. Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Reference staff can advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served.

To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and 5:00 at 202-707-6394, and Press 3.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Specific Subject File filing series Library of Congress. Europe Australia Africa South America Asia North America Washington D.C, 1850. to 1980, Bulk 1870 to 1960. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2005675764/.

APA citation style:

(1850) Specific Subject File filing series Library of Congress. Europe Australia Africa South America Asia North America Washington D.C, 1850. to 1980, Bulk 1870 to 1960. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2005675764/.

MLA citation style:

Specific Subject File filing series Library of Congress. to 1980, Bulk 1870 to 1960. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2005675764/>.