Identifying Creator and Collection — Identifying Creator and Collection

Identifying the specific archival collection that holds a photograph can provide valuable context regarding its original purpose. NARA organizes its extensive visual holdings into distinct Record Groups, such as Record Group 26 for photographs documenting activities and facilities from 1939 to 1967.

Another major collection is Record Group 165, which contains unofficial photographs from the War Department dating from 1917 to 1918. Tracking these specific record groups helps researchers better understand the historical perspective and origin of each image.