INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE RESEARCHERS ABOUT THE STILL PICTURE BRANCH OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES National Archives and Records Administration Washington, DC 20408 The National Archives The National Archives and Records Administration is by statute the authorized repository for "those official records which have been determined by the Archivist of the United States to have sufficient historical or other value to warrant their continued preservation by the Federal Government" (44 U.S.C. 2901). Since its creation in 1934, the National Archives has carried out its mandate by appraising, accessioning, and preserving noncurrent federal records both for the protection of public and private rights and for research use. The records are available in National Archives facilities across the United States and include those created by the courts, Congress, the President, Presidential commissions, and components of numerous federal agencies and bureaus. The Still Picture Branch Included among the many forms of records in the custody of the National Archives are photographs and other visual images. Although these types of records may be found in other units in the National Archives, an estimated 7 million photographs and graphics are held by the Still Picture Branch. The pictorial records in the branch provide a wealth of information about U.S. history. They offer visual opportunities to understand this country's heritage by documenting the diversity of its citizenry, land, and culture; the people who worked, served, and fought to establish the nation; the nation's military, industrial, and agricultural attainments; and the accomplishments of the federal government's social programs. The branch holdings, moreover, parallel the ever-evolving history of photography. Examples of virtually every photographic and photomechanical process and format can be found among the records. Collodion negatives, stripping negatives, film negatives, color negatives and transparencies, albumen and silver gelatin prints, cyanotypes, collotypes, and offset lithographs are just a few of the processes represented. Among the many formats are cartes de visite, panoramas, lantern slides, 35mm negatives, and 2- by 2-inch slides. Military Subjects The Still Picture Branch holdings include several thousand Civil War--era photographs taken by Mathew Brady and his associates. These images, while perhaps the best known military photographs in the branch, represent only a small percentage of the number of pictorial records that document the involvement of the United States in armed confrontations. Military images cover the period of the French and Indian War through the Vietnam conflict and include extensive coverage of the U.S. military in the last four major conflicts (World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam). Most of the photographs are found in the records of U.S. military services: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. War photography, however, is not the sole focus of the military holdings. The records of the aforementioned services and their many bureaus and commands also include thousands of photographs recording even the most mundane functions necessary to support the Armed Forces in war and peace. Pictures of recruits and enlistees, training programs, forts, bases, camps and schools, administrative and support services, ceremonies, uniforms and insignia, ordnance (artillery, tanks, ships, aircraft, atomic weapons, and other armaments), yards and docks, tests, maintenance services, communications, medical care, and recreational activities are examples of the many topics covered. Civilian agency records, particularly for the World War II period, are often excellent sources for combat photography and photographs on other military subjects. For example, the Office of War Information files contain thousands of images documenting life on the home front and Allied combat operations during World War II. Social Programs The branch also maintains photographs that document the implementation and impact of programs initiated by the federal government to address various social ills and issues. For example, Bureau of Indian Affairs files contain photographs documenting numerous programs directed toward Native Americans. The earliest social documentary photographs in the branch are pictures of child laborers taken by Lewis Hine from 1908 to 1912 in the records of the Children's Bureau. Photographs taken by various New Deal agencies include the largest number of images of government social programs. These photographs document the many programs created to ameliorate, through public employment and economic security projects, the effects of the Great Depression in the 1930s. The Work Projects Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps, National Youth Administration, and the Social Security Administration are some of the agencies established during this period whose records are in the branch. The federal government's interests in social issues continued after World War II. Survey photographs taken by Russell Lee for the Coal Mines Administration and those taken for a later study conducted in 1979 by the President's Commission on Coal record the working and living conditions of miners. Natural Resources and the Environment Many federal agencies in the course of carrying out their missions were or are to some extent involved in the management of the natural resources of the nation. Examples of such interests are photographs of river and harbor improvement projects undertaken by the Corps of Engineers; images of western lands taken by Timothy O'Sullivan, William Henry Jackson, John K. Hillers, and others during 19th-century topographical and geological surveys; and photographs, including over 200 by Ansel Adams, of National Park Service areas. The files of the Department of Agriculture and its bureaus contain pictures of farming and ranching activities and conservation and reclamation projects. Images relating to forest management are in Forest Service records and pictures of mining operations are among the records of the Bureau of Mines and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation. Fish and Wildlife Service pictures record a variety of subjects. Among them are images of marine life, birds, mammals and other animals, and plants. Also included are topographical studies of areas in the United States and in several foreign countries. The government's concerns about environmental conditions are documented in the records of the Environmental Protection Agency, which contain images showing the effects of noise, air, and water pollution and pollution control measures. Many of the pictures were taken for DOCUMERICA, a program sponsored by the agency in the 1970s to produce photographic documentation of environmental subjects throughout the United States. Science and Technology Photographic records relating to scientific and technological development are found in a number of government files. Images document the testing and fabrication of military hardware in Navy and Army ordnance bureau records; hydrographic and seismographic studies conducted by the Coast and Geodetic Survey; measurement technology and standards research carried out by the National Institute of Standards and Technology; meteorological and atmospheric observations of the Weather Bureau and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; biological and pharmacological research conducted by the Food and Drug Administration; and aeronautical and aerospace research undertaken by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA records are a rich source of photographs showing in detail a variety of airplanes, rockets, and spacecraft. Posters An estimated 13,000 posters are held by the Still Picture Branch. The bulk of the posters were produced during the two World Wars and are found in the records of military organizations and civilian agencies supporting the war effort. Posters from the Office of Naval Records and Library publicize a variety of themes relating to World War I, while posters from the Office of Government Reports provide similar general coverage for World War II. Posters with themes such as promoting or advertising conservation of products and resources needed for the war and the greater production of goods and war materiel are generally found in the records of civilian agencies such as the U.S. Food Administration, War Production Board, Office of War Information, and Office of Price Administration. Posters produced by the armed services typically relate to recruitment during both wartime and peacetime. Sources for these posters include the files of the American Expeditionary Forces (World War I), Bureau of Naval Personnel, and U.S. Army commands. The branch also has a sizeable number of posters publicizing government peacetime and nonmilitary programs and subjects. Examples of these are Peace Corps recruitment posters, National Park Service public parks advertisements, the Forest Service Smokey Bear fire prevention posters, U.S. Postal Service postage stamp promotions, and posters publicizing Treasury Department war and savings bonds. Reference Services The branch research room staff is available to assist and direct researchers with their research Monday through Friday, except federal holidays, from 8:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is suggested that researchers make appointments and verify in advance the availability of records or any restrictions on access. The research room is in Room 18N of the National Archives Building, Pennsylvania Avenue, between Seventh and Ninth Streets NW., Washington, DC 20408. Research can also be initiated by telephone or through correspondence. Although the branch is unable to provide exhaustive research for this type of query, the staff will provide a limited amount of information in response to requests for no more than three specific subjects per letter. There are no charges for any of these reference services. NOTE: The branch is moving from the National Archives Building in downtown Washington to Archives II in College Park, MD, early in 1994. Most still picture reference services will be suspended from late January until mid-May 1994. Still Picture Branch records are available for loan only to the originating federal agency, but reproductions may be purchased. Prices vary depending on the medium and the reproduction size requested. Fee schedules and order blanks can be obtained from the branch upon request. Prepayment is required for orders from individuals, although purchase orders are accepted from U.S. institutions and organizations. The processing of orders takes several weeks, and rush service is not available. Because they were created by federal agencies, most of the pictures in the branch are in the public domain. Occasionally agencies obtain photographs from private sources, and these may be under copyright or carry publication restrictions. Furthermore, the owners of these images may impose certain fees for their use. For additional information on doing research in the branch, please contact the Still Picture Branch directly: Reference Staff Still Picture Branch (NNSP) National Archives and Records Administration Washington, DC 20408 202-501-5455 Fax: 202-219-0078 Publications The National Archives publishes several pamphlets and books that contain information on still pictures. These publications include the Guide to the Holdings of the Still Picture Branch of the National Archives (NARA, 1990); War & Conflict: Selected Images from the National Archives, 1765--1970 (NARA, 1990); and Select Audiovisual Records leaflets: Pictures of Indians in the United States; Photographs of the American West, 1861--1912; Pictures of the Civil War; Pictures of the Revolutionary War; Pictures of United States Navy Ships, 1775--1941; Pictures of World War II; Pictures from the Harmon Foundation: Artworks and Art Activities; Contemporary African Art from the Harmon Foundation; and Pictures of the American City. Also relevant is Broadsides and Posters from the National Archives (NARA, 1986). The American Image: Photographs from the National Archives, 1860--1960 (Pantheon Books, 1979) and The National Archives of the United States (Abrams, 1984) are privately printed books published with the cooperation of the National Archives. Copies of the Select Audiovisual Records leaflets listed above may be obtained by writing to the Still Picture Branch (NNSP), National Archives, Washington, DC 20408, or by calling 202-501-5455 (fax: 202-219-0078). All of the other publications may be purchased from the Publications Services Staff (NEPS), National Archives, Washington, DC 20408. Reproductions of the images in this leaflet may be obtained for a fee through the Still Picture Branch. Please address inquiries to the Still Picture Branch (NNSP), National Archives, Washington, DC 20408, or telephone 202-501-5455 for more information. 165-WW-457C-5. Soldiers learning to sight with Army 4x5 Geoghlex [Graflex] camera. November 1917. Brown and Dawson. Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs 127-N-A192449. A patrol from Co. B, 3rd Recon., 3rd Marine Div., searches an area just below the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). January 1, 1969. Partain. Records of the U.S. Marine Corps 127-N-A184814. Marines from 1st Plt., Co. C, 3rd Reconnaissance Bn., attached to the 3rd Bn., 4th Marines, cross the Nong River during an operation held by the battalion to sweep clear the area. July 29, 1965. Lance Corporal Hallas. Records of the U.S. Marine Corps 102-LH-2239. A typical group of postal messengers. The smallest on left end, Wilmore Johnson, has been there one year. Works days only. The postal boys are not nearly so young in Norfolk and other Va. cities, as are the Western Union boys. Norfolk, VA. June 1911. Lewis W. Hine. Records of the Children's Bureau 220-LC-Murray-101-12A. Linda King finds working as a roof bolter's helper at the Bullitt Mine in Big Stone Gap, VA, more challenging and better paying than her previous job in a garment factory. 1979. Kenneth Murray. President's Commission on Coal. Records of Temporary Committees, Commissions, and Boards 95-G-512931. Inyo National Forest, California. A bristlecone pine (pinua aristata). July 1965. Leland J. Prater. Records of the Forest Service 77-KN-18. Witche's Rocks, Echo, Utah. 1869. Timothy O'Sullivan. Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers 88-GB-16-C2671. Drug Division. Analyzing medicines of unknown composition for work in conjunction with the Food and Drugs Act, and assisting the Post Office Department in denying the privilege of the mails to medicines that are exploited by means of false or fraudulent representations and promises. Ca. 1915. Records of the Food and Drug Administration 255-PV-VAN-1455. Vanguard staff [member] examines the surface of the 20-inch satellite for flaws. Because of the highly polished surface, [he] wears sunglasses to protect him from the sun's reflection in the sphere. Below the satellite is a 20-inch "pieplate" which shields the satellite from excessive heat from the 3rd stage rocket and from possible smoke contamination when the 3rd stage "spin-table" rockets are ignited. Ca. 1957. Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 490-P-43B. Go in Peace. Join the Peace Corps. Ca. 1980. Records of the Peace Corps National Archives and Records Administration General Information Leaflet 38 1992 [Electronic edition revised June 1993]