Renowned Photographer Plans a
Cross-Country Trip to Photograph America
Carol
M. Highsmith will donate her photos to the Library of Congress
by Beth Rowen
Pioneering female photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston, who
served as official White House photographer under presidents Harrison,
Cleveland, McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt, has left her mark on history in
ways both tangible and subtle. Her images provide a snapshot of American
history in the late 1800s and 1900s. Johnston's legacy also endures through
the work of renowned photographer Carol M. Highsmith. Indeed,
Johnston has inspired Highsmith to chronicle America at the turn of the 21st
century.
Highsmith, whose photos have appeared in dozens of books and
magazines, is planning an unprecedented, four-year project, called the
21st Century America Project, to capture contemporary
American life. During Highsmith's extended road trip, which will have her
traveling 200 days each year, she’ll focus not only on major
landmarks, but also on small towns and big cities, major events and intimate
church services.
Preserving a snapshot of American life
"I
think it's important that Americans can look back and see what the country
was all about at the turn of this century," Highsmith said in a recent
interview. "America is still very, very young, and it's vital to document
where we are now and where we're going."
Oral historian Ted
Landphair will join Highsmith on her journey, interviewing people to
provide a first-person narrative to complement the photographs. The project
will provide generations to come with a permanent multimedia record of
American history.
"I want to hit all states and showcase the fact that
the United States has so many various facets," she said. In addition to
highlighting the architecture of the country, Highsmith said she plans to
"showcase people, their environments, and catch aspects of America that may
be disappearing."
Photographs to be given to the Library of
Congress
Highsmith plans to donate 10,000 photos from the project to
the Library of Congress copy-right free—an extraordinary gift.
Indeed, one-time use of photos by such an esteemed photographer can run
several hundred—if not thousands—of dollars. Such generosity is
not entirely unique. In fact, Johnston also donated her work to the Library
of Congress.
The Library of Congress, located in Washington,
D.C., is the largest library in the world. The images in the Library of
Congress's database are for public use, which means people and companies can
download their photos and use them freely as long as they credit the Library
of Congress as the source.
"I want to follow in Frances Benjamin
Johnston's footsteps," Highsmith said. "She gave the Library of Congress
copy-right free about 50,000 images. That was the cornerstone of their
prints and photographs division. I felt it imperative to photograph the turn
of this century as well as my lifetime and work with the Library of Congress
to help them build their collection of new images."
Highsmith
specializes in architectural photography. She was selected by the American
Institute of Architects to shoot all 150 sites on their list of America's
Favorite Buildings. In addition, her 2003 photograph of the Jefferson
Memorial was used for the U.S. Postal Service's Priority Mail stamp. She
uses a 39-megapixel Phase One camera that allows her to produce the
highest-quality, high resolution images that reveal the minutest
details.
"Two hundred years from now, people might want to study what
types of screws were sold, and they will be able to study my images and find
detail to understand how things have changed," Highsmith said. "These photos
can tell a million and one stories. That's what sets still photography
apart. With such tremendous quality, you can sit for hours and study a
photo."
Highsmith has been working to secure funding for her project.
She's seeking $500,000 for each year of the project. This website, www.infoplease.com, is participating in Highsmith's project. It
currently features Highsmith's images and slideshows of her photos and will
host Highsmith's blog as she travels the country.
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
