History of the American West (American Memory, Library of Congress)

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Over 30,000 photographs, drawn from the holdings of the Western History and Genealogy Department at Denver Public Library, illuminate many aspects of the history of the American West. Most of the photographs were taken between 1860 and 1920. They illustrate Colorado towns and landscape, document the place of mining in the history of Colorado and the West, and show the lives of Native Americans from more than forty tribes living west of the Mississippi River. Also included are World War II photographs of the 10th Mountain Division, ski troops based in Colorado who saw action in Italy.

The mission of the Library of Congress is to make its resources available and useful to Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations. The goal of the Library's National Digital Library Program is to offer broad public access to a wide range of historical and cultural documents as a contribution to education and lifelong learning. Digital collections from other institutions complement and enhance the Library's own resources.

The Library of Congress presents these documents as part of the record of the past. These primary historical documents reflect the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of different times. The Library of Congress and the Denver Public Library do not endorse the views expressed in these collections, which may contain materials offensive to some readers.

Special Presentations*
Native American Women | L.C. McClure and Denver, the City Beautiful | The 10th Mountain Division

Understanding the Collection

About the Collection

Biographies of Selected Western Photographers

Related Resources

Collection Connections

Working with the Collection

How to Order Photographic Reproductions

Building the Digital Collection

Home Page for the Catalog for the Photography Collection at Denver Public Library* line

The digitization and presentation of these materials by the Denver Public Library * was supported by an award from the Library of Congress/Ameritech National Digital Library Competition. Links marked * are to web pages mounted at the awardee institution. The digital images are also mounted at the awardee institution.

The source materials for this collection are housed at the Denver Public Library. An Order Form* is available for reproductions of images from the Denver Public Library Photography Collection. Questions or comments about the original materials can be addressed directly to Photography Collection of the Western History and Genealogy Department at Denver Public Library.

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The Library of Congress

March-20-2000