Taking the Long View: Panoramic Photographs, 1851-1991

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Go directly to the collection, Taking the Long View: Panoramic Photographs, 1851-1991, in American Memory, or view a Summary of Resources related to the collection.

1) Chronological Thinking

Taking the Long View, 1851-1991, contains panoramas from all fifty states. Students can use the photographs to study the history of their state. Students might research and compare land development, industry, agriculture, and housing in their region one hundred years ago and today. Students can also use the collection to create a "then and now" museum of photographs from the collection and from current newspapers.

Search on specific place names such as New Orleans, Baltimore, and Seattle, or use the State and Country Index to find a geographic location.

Search on employment, commercial streets, and specific types of industry such as lumber, petroleum, paper, and steel to find photographs related to work. Search on dwellings, markets, schools, games, and amusement for images which show daily life of the period.

3) Historical Analysis and Interpretation

Students can speculate about how the values and ideals of earlier generations were portrayed by what the photographers of the period recorded. For example, these panoramic photographs were not part of the social reform tradition of photography that was developing at the same time by people like Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine. Students can visit the online exhibition, A Century Apart: Images of Spirit and Struggle featuring work by Jacob Riis, hosted by the Museum of the City of New York. Compare these images to the panoramas of New York City in Taking the Long View, 1851-1991.

Search on banquets, exposition, club, university students, society, and group portraits for more photographs.

4) Historical Research Capabilities

Students may use the collection to research local history. They can assemble a set of panoramic images to create an exhibit or report on their region in an earlier time period. Students might analyze parts of a single panorama and research related resources to explain the elements in a photograph.

Visit the special presentation, Seeing Change Over Time: Duluth, Minnesota, 1870-1913 as an example of an exhibit. Browse the State and Country Index to help locate a specific place to research.

5) Historical Issue Analysis and Decision Making

In the decades surrounding 1900, Americans were faced with choices about how to develop land and use resources. New technologies were available to exploit resources to an extent never seen before. It was also during this time that national parks were established. Students might consider the history of American attitudes toward developing and utilizing natural resources and use this history as a context for studying present day issues of conservation. Students might look at the Evolution of the Conservation Movement, 1850-1920 Collection Connection to further explore these ideas.

Search on mountains, waterfalls, national parks, oil, mines, canals, dams, and railroad to see images showing different uses of the land.