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.

This shot may have captured the very moment I decided to become a photographer. That's me in the center, as my brother (left) shows his photo album to a family friend in our living room. I can practically read my 9 year-old mind: Wow! All I have to do is take some pictures, and I can be the center of attention too! View full size.
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