This photo collection represents official photos archived by the U.S. Department of State. You can view more photos of the Department at work by checking out the Flickr accounts of U.S. embassies and consulates around the world here: www.state.gov/r/pa/ode/socialmedia/index.htm#fl.

We welcome you to add your tags and comments.

We placed only one tag ("U.S. Department of State") and some other basic information when we loaded the photos. Any other tags you see are added by the community. If you have more information about the photos we post, please let us know. Some of our old photos have very little description.

For more details on what we are doing, FAQs are available and we are updating them as we learn more from our pilot.

What is the U.S. Department of State?

The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. It is administered by the U.S. Secretary of State.

The Department of State is the lead U.S. foreign affairs agency, and its head, the Secretary of State, is the President's principal foreign policy advisor, though other officials or individuals may have more influence on his foreign policy decisions. The Department advances U.S. objectives and interests in the world through its primary role in developing and implementing the President's foreign policy. The Department also supports the foreign affairs activities of other U.S. Government entities including the United States Department of Commerce and the U.S. Agency for International Development. It also provides an array of important services to U.S. citizens and to foreigners seeking to visit or immigrate to the U.S.

These photos represent a special collection gathered by the Department's Office of the Historian. The Office of the Historian is responsible, under law, for the preparation and publication of the official historical documentary record of U.S. foreign policy in the Foreign Relations of the United States series.

Why archive photographs of important moments in U.S. Foreign Policy?

We've been acquiring photos since the mid-1800s when photography was just beginning. Because images represent life and the world so vividly, people have long enjoyed exploring our visual collections. Looking at pictures opens new windows to understanding both the past and the present. Favorite photos are often incorporated in books, TV shows, homework assignments, scholarly articles, family histories, and much more.

Offering historical photo collections through Flickr is a welcome opportunity to share some of our most popular images more widely.

To learn more about us ...

Read our blog, DipNote.

Explore the Department's Web site