A Happy Anniversary: Four Years of Sharing on Flickr

Four years ago today we embarked on an experiment to post photographs from Library of Congress collections on the photosharing site, Flickr.  We had done considerable planning, and we were quite clear on our aims:

  • to share images with a community of picture lovers who may not have known that libraries collect pictures, and
  • to tap viewers’ knowledge to help us improve access to images for which we had little information.

What we didn’t know for sure was whether anyone would be interested.  Would anybody tag or comment on our photos?  Would they even notice them?

“1930s-40s in Color” set in Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/sets/72157603671370361/

“News in the 1910s” set on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/sets/72157603624867509/

Flickr launch day proved to be one of the most exciting days I’ve spent at work in my more than two decades at the Library of Congress. With the help of a Flickr blog post, people almost immediately began viewing the initial sets that we posted: “News from the 1910s” (Bain News Service photographs) and “1930s-40s in Color” (Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information color photographs).  Comments—awe-struck, funny, and informative—began to flood in, and Flickr members hastened to be the first to tag one of the photos.

A note offered by a “Jefferson” unveiling. Photo by Bain News Service, between 1910 and 1915. A Flickr member added a note to point out photographer activity in the background. http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/5497262720/

We loved how viewers took advantage of Flickr’s visually-oriented note tool to point out particular details of the photographs, and we marveled at the ways in which commenters offered connections to related images and resources that helped explain the pictures.  We were also gratified when viewers saw connections to their own lives.  Flickr members have found family members through the photographs, they’ve helped commemorate individuals whose stories aren’t well known but deserve to be remembered, they’ve solved mysteries, and they’ve helped us all appreciate the technology and art of photography.

In the years since, we have branched out to other collections and types of images, including illustrated newspaper supplements, portraits of jazz musicians, and most recently New Deal-era posters by the WPA.  We have also made many new friends through our online conversations about the pictures.  The exchanges help us to look at each image anew and to appreciate all that a picture can convey.

Our Flickr experiment also inspired the Flickr staff, who launched an initiative called “The Commons.” Now many libraries, museums, and archives share their unrestricted images through Flickr, enabling us all to appreciate the variety of images these institutions are preserving, and the interconnections among them.

A couple of years ago, we put up a “Great Comments– Thank You!” set of images to let people know how much we appreciate their participation.  To mark this four year anniversary, staff members who moderate the Library of Congress Flickr account suggested some more of their favorites.  Please savor with us a very successful experiment, which has now turned into a gratifying, regular part of our efforts to share the collections with a broad audience.

Here are a few of the images we added to the “Thank You” set:

Context is so illuminating!

Miss Mielke. Photo by Bain News Service, between 1910 and 1915. A Flickr member explained what Ms. Mielke was up to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/6265947143/

Comparing “then” to “now” offers perspective

Rope Bridge, Carrick-a-Rede. County Antrim, Ireland. Photomechanical print (photochrom), between ca. 1890 and ca. 1900

Rope Bridge, Carrick-a-Rede. County Antrim, Ireland. Photomechanical print (photochrom), between ca. 1890 and ca. 1900. A Flickr member offers a video view of the site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/4426684715/comment72157623485144691/

Pictures trigger memories and curiosity about technology

Itinerant photographer in Columbus, Ohio. Photo by Ben Shahn, 1938 Aug.

Itinerant photographer in Columbus, Ohio. Photo by Ben Shahn, 1938 Aug. http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/3549666828/

Information and connections grow over time

Grocery store, Ohio, Route 74. Photo by John Vachon, 1942 or 1943

Grocery store, Ohio, Route 74. Photo by John Vachon, 1942 or 1943. View comments: http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/2179171338/

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2 Comments

  1. Marcel N. Dyer
    April 9, 2012 at 1:00 pm

    I have high hopes of being able to research old pictures which may be of value to the general public and historians in particular.
    Thank you for you inititive.

  2. BMX
    July 12, 2012 at 8:20 am

    Hi

    This is fantastic blog.It is very impressive blog.I got to read some excellent stuff here. Thank you for constantly posting so many useful tips.

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