Crystal clear cyanotype image of arches and a staircase in the Library of Congress.
This public domain photo is from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.
This small image captures the north staircase in the central stair hall at the Library of Congress. Two ornate arches in the foreground frame a staircase visible through the right arch. A statue at the foot of the banister appears to represent lady justice with a scale held aloft in her left hand.
This stock image was developed in cyanotype, a simple developing technique originating in the mid-nineteenth century. It entailed the use of only two chemicals, potassium ferricyanide and ferric ammonium citrate, which combined to create a photosensitive solution. This solution could be applied to nearly any paper or fabric to create a photosensitive surface. The image resulting from the exposure of this surface with a negative to ultraviolet light was a uniformly cyan-blue photograph.
The vast majority of the stock images within the Detroit Publishing Company Collection were published prior to 1920, when normal business operations were suspended. These images all reside within the public domain due to their pre-1923 publication date. This collection of stock images has passed through a series of libraries and historical societies. Our assumption is that these transfers were intended to facilitate greater access to the public. The Library of Congress notes “no known restrictions” on use.
441 kilobyte TIFF. Hosted at the Library of Congress.
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03.27.10
A blue toned image of two ornate, marble archways and staircase. A statue of a human figure stands on a pillar near the base of the staircase. Beneath one of the archways there is an empty, wooden bench.
The marble on the walls and ceiling has been carved into various classical and Grecian designs. The floor and staircase, too, appear to be made of marble. The floor is patterned with a mosaic design with many shapes and tones, however color cannot be ascertained due to the overall blue hue of the image.
Through the archway and up the stairs, you can see several white pillars standing tall and strong. The upstairs portion of the image is predominantly white, indicating a large, bright light source, such as a sky light, large windows or an open area – though none are in view in this image.
On the main, ground floor portion of this image, the light is streaming from the left hand side, with the right being much darker, indicating an entranceway is to the west (should this image be north-facing).
This is obviously a very stately building, such as a museum, university or capitol building. There are no people in this image, with the only clue to the age of the picture being the wooden bench, which seems relatively modern (post 19th century).
03.27.10
This image has a great combination of art and architecture. It looks old and ancient but with the touch of precious art work and sculpture. The arch looks even more beautiful with the angles on the top. The roof is also decorated very well. It looks spacious as well as royal. We can add same for the flooring and this gives the extra effect of increasing space. If we talk about the photo angle then also the picture is taken at such a angle the all the combination of everything that is descrip above is perfectly matching to it and make it unique as well as royal and beautiful. The inner space is well light up with natural light and this adds to the beauty of the building. Studying at such a place will always be a great experience. In my postgraduation we too had a great library much similar to this and so I can grantee that this can be a great experience to study and get knowledge at such a beautiful place.