Most of the photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs, 20 to 200 megabytes in size) from the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) Many were digitized by LOC contractors using a Sinar studio back. They are adjusted by your webmaster for contrast and color in Photoshop before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here.

Providence, Rhode Island, circa 1906. "Front campus, Brown University." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
In the days before air conditioning double hung windows that opened from the top and bottom provided a means of air circulation. In rooms with gas lighting it provided a way to vent noxious fumes. I would guess that by 1906 Brown University had electric lights, but I see two exterior post top light standards in the classic gas light style.
Today's Top 5