Event Lectures and Symposia Live! At the Library: Women in Photography, Stories from the Not an Ostrich Exhibition

Photojournalist Sharon Farmer, the first woman and the first African American to be Director of the White House Photography office, and Anne Tucker, curator emerita at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, will share stories about women photographers and their own work with the Library’s exhibition “Not an Ostrich: And Other Images from America’s Library.” After the program, you can visit the exhibit with the speakers.

The exhibition of close to 400 photographs was organized by the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles and drawn from the collections of the Library of Congress. "Not an Ostrich" presents a taste of the Library’s spectacular holdings of more than 14 million photographs. Selected images reproduced for this exhibition were made between 1839 and today

Organized into distinct sections, "Not an Ostrich" captures the great range of subjects available in the Library’s photographic collections, including portraits, the arts, sports, leisure, political and social issues, icons, panoramas, and business and science. Other sections highlight the distinct American visions from the archives of Carol M. Highsmith, Camilo José Vergara, and the Detroit Publishing Company.

"Not an Ostrich" includes famous pictures, famous subjects, and famous photographers. Many of the images capture glorious moments in our history, some are entertaining or even absurd, and others are deeply troubling. Some photos will give you new perspectives on celebrated places, faces, and events, while still others will literally open your eyes to unfamiliar moments in American culture and history.

This event is free, but free-timed entry passes are required to enter the Library of Congress. Click the "Get Tickets" link above and select a timed-entry pass for your preferred entry time.