Distinguished architectural photographer Carol M. Highsmith has turned her lens on the Library of Congress. In more than 400 color digital images, Highsmith has captured both the artistry and symbolism of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, from the floor of the Great Hall to the dome of the Main Reading Room. These images and others can be found online at http://memory.loc.gov/pp/highsmhtml/highsmabt.html.
Looking at Highsmith’s sharply detailed photographs is an amazing experience,” said C. Ford Peatross, director of the Library’s Center for Architecture, Design and Engineering. “She is able to reveal new information about a building that I’ve studied for years.”
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Her recent donation of these photographs
will help visitors better understand
the Library’s mission to sustain
and preserve a universal collection of
knowledge and creativity for future
generations. The images also will highlight
the features of the ornate Jefferson
Building, which opened in 1897. Highsmith
worked at all hours—day and
night—during 2006 and 2007 to obtain
the best lighting possible, often perched
on a tall lift to reach the many mosaics
and murals in order to “do justice to the
building and the institution that I love.”
Using the latest technology and the finest professional digital camera equipment to scan, store and print her images, Highsmith also has photographed the Library’s James Madison Building and its John Adams Building. The 75 images of those buildings will be placed online at a later date.
Highsmith, who has documented
American life and architecture for
more than 30 years, began donating her
archives to the Prints and Photographs
Division at the Library of Congress in
1992. The collection is expected to grow
to more than 100,000 photographs covering
all of the United States. Highsmith
has generously dedicated the
rights for these photographs to the
American people, thereby providing
copyright-free access to her images
and making her archive an even more
special visual resource.