Photo Collections

Photographs are among the most powerful documents that can be brought to bear in archival research on old buildings. From about the moment that daguerreotypy was first introduced in 1839, architectural subjects were among the first images taken. Many of the best historic photographs have been reproduced in books, but treasures abound in collections of unpublished photos held by collecting institutions (and sometimes by individuals). Photo identification remains a major issue in many of these collections, but many record types can help where buildings are concerned.