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.) Most 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.
Shorpy is an online archive of thousands of high-resolution photos from the 1850s to 1950s. Our namesake, Shorpy Higginbotham, was a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago.
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1925. Washington, D.C. "High school track meet at Central Stadium." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

December 1942. Proviso Yard, Chicago & North Western R.R. "A train, or 'cut,' being pushed out of a receiving yard toward the hump. A brakeman rides each train to signal the engineer in the locomotive at the rear." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano, Office of War Information.

February 1909. Men's dormitory at the New York municipal lodging house. 8x10 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size.

New York City municipal lodging house circa 1909. "After the bath." This is the answer to those wondering what you'd wear while your clothes were being fumigated overnight. George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size.

February 9, 1927. Washington, D.C. "Miss Grace Wagner, Central High School," out from under the car. National Photo Company Collection. View full size.

May 25, 1925. Washington, D.C. "Winners, Paramount Motion Picture School." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative.

1921, Washington D.C. "Francis Rawling, P.O. Club." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Any P.O. Club members out there?