Spotting Historical Formats — Spotting Historical Formats

When working with historical imagery, it is helpful to understand the physical format and creation process of your source material. The National Archives Still Picture Branch in College Park, Maryland, maintains a massive collection that includes more than 14 million analog prints and 3 million digital images.

Additionally, their holdings feature 50,000 panoramas, posters, and other large-format graphic works. Identifying whether your source is an analog print, a digital file, or a graphic poster helps you accurately represent its physical history.