The Denver Public Library’s Special Collections and Archives Department collection of digitized photographs chronicles the people, places and events that shaped the settlement and growth of the Western United States. It is representative of works of many outstanding photographers. Subjects include Native Americans, pioneers, railroads, mining, Denver and Colorado towns, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, and the 10th Mountain Division ski troops.
Digital Collections
Contains a selection of photographs, maps, broadsides, architectural drawings and other documents from the collections of the Western History/Genealogy Department.
Undigitized Materials Index
This collection of photographic prints was assembled and arranged by various librarians at the Denver Public Library as a way to increase the accessibility of images prior to the use of computer databases. The collection contains items dating from around 1870 to 2000, with the bulk of the materials dating between 1900 and 1980. Photographs have been arranged into series by subject and then arranged alphabetically. Subjects include: Biographies, Denver, General Subjects, Railroads, States and Cities, and Visual Materials. The Visual Materials index is a new addition covering previously unindexed resources from a collection of late 19th and early 20th century illustrations (mostly woodcuts) and photographs.
Photographs of the 19th Century: A Process Identification Guide
This book is a guide to the identification and dating of all the known types of black and white 19th century photographs on all bases. It includes common commercial types as well as rarities and home-made varieties. The aim was to make this a self- sufficient reference for such readers as educators, students, historians, collectors, museums, photographers, antique dealers, and individuals seeking to identify and date family photographs.