Story Maps at the Library of Congress are immersive web applications that tell the incredible stories of the Library’s collections through narrative, multimedia, and interactive maps. The following Story Maps were created by Preservation staff to highlight some of the research that informs preservation activities. Preferred browsers are Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari.
If you would like to explore more of the Library of Congress' Story maps, you can visit the Geography & Map Reading Room website. For general questions regarding Library of Congress Story Maps, please contact [email protected].
The 19th-Century Roots of Instagram
Written by Adrienne Lundgren, Conservation Division. This presentation highlights the similarities between the 19th-century Amateur Photographic Exchange Club (1861-1863) and contemporary social networking platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. This downloadable CSV file provides the mapped data in this story map.
The Colorful World of Ukiyo-e
Written by Gwenanne Edwards and Chloe Joyner, Conservation Division. This story map explores the use of color in Japanese woodblock prints through their history and legacy, the collaborative system of color printmaking, and the sources for the dyes and pigments. There is no CSV file to accompany this story map.
Portraits of Brotherly Love
Written by Rachel Wetzel, Conservation Division. This presentation highlights the development of photographic portraiture and the growth of the daguerreotype studio in Philadelphia between 1840-1849. This downloadable CSV file provides the mapped data in this story map.
Prickly Pear Blood: the Mesoamerican red colorant cochineal
Written by Mary Elizabeth Haude, Conservation Division. Explore the development of cochineal, the Mesoamerican red colorant that resembled the juice of red prickly pears. Library of Congress collections will show cochineal cultivation, colorant preparation, and use on Mesoamerican manuscripts. There is no CSV file to accompany this Story Map.
Theatrics of the Theatre
Written by Hadley Johnson, Preservation Research and Testing Division. Explore the legacy, and lasting influence, of the Ballets Russes; elegant, elaborate, and ornate costume and set design, paired with masterfully composed musical scores. Images from the Library of Congress collection showcase the impact Ballets Russes has had on the ballet world. There is no CSV file to accompany this story map.
The Written Word Endures
Written by Meghan Wilson, Preservation Research and Testing Division. This story map highlights how scientific study of the Library of Congress collections, as conducted by the Preservation Research and Testing Division, supports long-term access to these materials and provides enriched historical context for scholarly study. There is no CSV file to accompany this story map.
