Sergeant Dennis Fisher and Marine Corps Combat Photography in Vietnam

Camera slate taken April 13, 1968 during Operation No Name II. Courtesy of Sergeant Dennis Fisher. As a photographer, you know what it takes to make a good picture but doing it under combat conditions challenges everything you have ever learned. Sergeant Dennis Fisher In April, the Still Picture Branch was fortunate enough to welcome … Continue reading Sergeant Dennis Fisher and Marine Corps Combat Photography in Vietnam

60th Anniversary: The Cuban Missile Crisis

Local Identifier: 342-B-ND-018A-167731USAF; Original Caption: MRBM Field Launch Site, San Cristobal #1, October 14 1962. (This photo provided the first photographic evidence of Soviet offensive missile deployment in Cuba.) The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union in October 1962. The international crisis escalated when American missiles were … Continue reading 60th Anniversary: The Cuban Missile Crisis

Sergeant Presley: Photographs of Elvis’ Time with the Army

During the peak of his career in 1958, "The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll" traded in his blue suede shoes for a pair of U.S. Government-issued combat boots. Sgt. Presley answering questions for the press during his last press conference in Friedberg, Germany before returning to the U. S. and civilian life. March 1, 1960. … Continue reading Sergeant Presley: Photographs of Elvis’ Time with the Army

Different Years, Always New: The New Year in Photos

As we move into 2022, celebrations of the New Year take shape in many different forms. Due to the current circumstances, the celebrations for 2022 most likely looked very different than those in 2021, and even 2020. However, consider how different the New Year celebrations looked in 2004, 1952, 1943, and even 1869. Pictured in … Continue reading Different Years, Always New: The New Year in Photos

Remembering 9/11

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States. On September 11, 2001, four coordinated terrorist attacks were committed against the United States when two hijacked planes were flown into the North and South Towers at the World Trade Center, a third hit the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., … Continue reading Remembering 9/11

Visual Cues and Clues: Cracking the Code of Glass Negatives

Aquarius Plateau. J.K. Hillers at work (as photographer). Local Identifier: 57-PS-809, NAID: 517983. This image is cropped from the original. When you think of photographic negatives today, perhaps you imagine flexible, plastic-like film. However, some of the earliest negative images would be found on glass. Glass served as a viable support to capture the photographic … Continue reading Visual Cues and Clues: Cracking the Code of Glass Negatives

Spotlight: US Air Force World War II Photography

Photograph of Members of the Tokyo Raid; Local Identifier: 342-FH-3A-48559-59885AC; NAID: 148728204 If you’re searching for World War II-era United States Air Force photography, look no further! Earlier this year, scans were added to our online catalog for nearly all of the World War II, US Air Force photography. Originally, the military branch was known … Continue reading Spotlight: US Air Force World War II Photography

Spotlight: Dorothea Lange

If you are not familiar with the name Dorothea Lange, at the very least you may recognize Lange's iconic photograph "Migrant Mother." Throughout the 1920s, Dorothea Lange worked as a studio portrait photographer in San Francisco. However, by the height of the Great Depression, she turned her focus towards documenting people and her surroundings. As … Continue reading Spotlight: Dorothea Lange

Researching Aerial Photography of the United States : RG 145 Aerial Indexes Now Digitized

The Cartographic Branch holds aerial imagery covering much of the United States and also many areas around the world. Today's post will focus on getting started with aerial imagery covering the United States, and specifically, Record Group (RG) 145 imagery. For more information on locating foreign aerial photography, see our previous posts: Researching Foreign Aerial … Continue reading Researching Aerial Photography of the United States : RG 145 Aerial Indexes Now Digitized