Biographical File filing series (Library of Congress) [graphic].
Bain, George Grantham, 1865-1944, photographer.
Brady, Mathew B., approximately 1823-1896, photographer.
Underwood & Underwood, photographer.
Washington Press Photo Service, photographer.
collectionstill image
Portrait prints 1500-2000. gmgpc
Portrait photographs 1500-2000. gmgpc
Photographic prints 1500-2000. gmgpc
1500-present, bulk 1800-1950.
Portraits and other pictures relating to the lives, careers, and families of distinguished or notable persons and groups, including their homes and birthplaces. Most of the people depicted are American or European who lived between 1500 and the present day (chiefly 1800 to 1950) in such occupations as actors and actresses, government officials, military officers, politicians, and royalty.
Many of the photographs are from the studios of Mathew Brady-Levin C. Handy, George G. Bain, Underwood & Underwood, and the Washington Press-Photo Bureau.
The portrait media range from engravings, lithographs, and etchings to original photographs in many sizes, photomechanical prints, and photographic copies of paintings. Most images are black-and-white; a few are in color.
The Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division began assembling this browsing file in the 1930s(?) to provide direct visual access to portraits of well-known people. Few new images have been added since 1990.
The reference aid "Famous People Selected Portraits From the Collections of the Library of Congress" illustrates many portraits from the Biographical File
The Biographical Index (a 66-drawer card file) lists portraits for which copy negatives have been made and provides cross references to some portraits housed in other collections.
various sources;
Biography--Portraits.
People--1500-2000.
Entertainers--1500-2000.
Government officials--1500-2000.
Military officers--1500-2000.
Politicians--1500-2000.
Families--1500-2000.
Dwellings--1500-2000.
Digitized images of more than 7,500 items in the file and their associated identifying information are available through the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog, by searching using the call number "Biog File" http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.80302
Publication rights status of individual images not evaluated. For general information see "Copyright and Other Restrictions ..."