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Famous People
Selected Portraits From the Collections
of the Library
of Congress
Introduction
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These images were selected to meet requests regularly received by
the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. They include
portraits of men and women of all nationalities and from all time
periods (fictional and legendary characters are not included). Because
the strength of the Prints and Photographs Division lies in historical
images, few images dating later than the 1970s are included. In some
cases, the images come from illustrations in books held by other
units of the Library of Congress. Individuals are added to the list
as demand for their images rises and suitable images are found in
the collections. Also included in the list, in a few cases, are the
names of individuals whose portraits have been frequently requested
but for whom no suitable images have been found in the Division's
holdings.
The list includes cross-references to portraits found on some
of the Prints and Photographs Division's other online reference
aids:
Additional images of some of the individuals on this list can be
found by searching the Prints and Photographs
Online Catalog.
This list is intended as a source of images of people, not as a source
of biographical information about them. A list of online
biographical tools can be found in "Alcove 9: An Annotated
List of Reference Websites" (http://www.loc.gov/rr/main/alcove9/).
The images are arranged in alphabetical order by the surname of the individual
(or the forename, if that is how they were known). A full
list of names is also available, providing links to images of individuals
on this and the above online reference aids.
The entry for each individual generally gives information found on
the caption card used to catalog the corresponding negative for the
image. Each entry also cites the reproduction number needed to order
photographic reproductions, as well as the location of the image. The
item found at that location may be an original or a reference copy.
The images are presented for educational and research purposes. Except
where otherwise noted, the Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright
or donor restrictions on the use of the images (in cases where permission
from a rights holder is clearly required, links to jpeg and tiff files
are not provided and only a small reference image appears). However,
patrons who plan to publish or otherwise distribute any of the images
should be aware that determination regarding the appropriate use of an
image ultimately rests with the patron. The Library generally does not
own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge
permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission
for use of the images. For further information, see "Copyright
and Other Restrictions ... Sources for Information."
In most cases, links to jpeg and tiff images are included in the list,
enabling users to download the images to their computer. (Links to jpeg
and tiff files are not provided in cases where permission from a rights
holder is clearly required; in such cases, only a small reference image
appears.) Since the images have been digitized at different times and
from different media, image resolution varies. There is no diagnostic
page currently available to users to indicate the dots per inch of the
images on the web site. Users must determine on their own whether the
images are of appropriate quality for their application. When digital
versions of the image are not of high enough quality for the application
in question, photographic copies may be ordered through the Library
of Congress Photoduplication Service. In requesting copies, the reproduction
number should be cited, as well as a caption.
Prepared by: Samuel V. Daniel III, Barbara O. Natanson,
and P&P staff. Last revised: May 2000
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