Smithsonian Libraries on Flickr

The Smithsonian joins the Flickr Commons project on June 16!

The Smithsonian Libraries provided a selection of photographic portraits from the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology. These portraits, part of a larger collection of over a 1,000 portraits in various media. The entire collection is available online at Scientific Identity: Portraits from the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology.

The Flickr Commons project provided Smithsonian staff an excellent opportunity for collaborations between our different museums and researcher centers. In addition to providing content, Smithsonian Libraries staff provided important technical and metadata skills which enhanced the success of the project.

• Visit the Smithsonian on the Flickr Commons
• See the Smithsonian Libraries "Portraits of Scientists and Inventors"

Flickr Commons is a new forum created by Flickr for cultural institutions to share their photographic collections. The Smithsonian was the fourth institution to join, following the Library of Congress, the Powerhouse Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum.

About the Dibner Library Portrait Collection (Ron Brashear)

The scientific portrait collection in the Dibner Library was assembled by Bern Dibner. The images formed a fine research complement to the thousands of scientific books and manuscripts in the library he founded, the Burndy Library. Bern Dibner obtained most of the portraits during the 1940s from print dealers in Boston, London, and Paris. By 1950 he had about two thousand images and arranged them into ten scientific subdivisions: Botany, Chemistry, Electricity, Geology, Mathematics, Medicine, Philosophy, Physics, Technology, and Zoology. The portraits are of various types: woodcuts, copper and steel engravings, mezzotints, lithographs, oil paintings, and photographs. Many of them are images that were printed as separate items, used as gifts to send to colleagues and admirers. The exchange of portraits among scientists in the eighteenth century became a very popular form of correspondence. A number of prints also served as frontispieces of books and, unfortunately, a few of the prints in the collection had originally been bound as pages in books and removed some time in the distant past.

(photo above left: Portrait of Felix Nadar (1820-1910), Photographer and Aeronautical Scientist; see the picture on Flickr or in Scientific Identity)

Comments

[A. REUSCH]

WHERE IS LISE MEITNER ?

[Kirsten van der Veen]

The Dibner Library's portrait collection is extensive but by no means comprehensive. It reflects the collecting interests of one man, Bern Dibner. The Churchill Archives Center at Churchill College, Cambridge has a substantial collection of portraits of Dr. Meitner.

[Essay writing]

Many of them are images that were printed as separate items, used as gifts to send to colleagues and admirers. This is great.

[Bead Stalk]

A fantastic collection of portraits, there is even one of Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the first practical telephone.

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This is great news that Smithonian is putting up pictures for display on Flickr for everyone to enjoy!

[danial]

good blog

[danial]

good blog

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Flickr is my favorite blog) I like it

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Images in that flickr library are too good.

[Tom]

I find this post really interesting, thanks for the writing!
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That is a great picture above. I wonder if he used equipment to reach out and take a photo of himself. Also, wouldn't the light bulb fall down below?

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Breathtaking blog with interesting information! Thanks!

[Netes Jatekok]

We all love art. It gives something to our workdays.

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Wow, I heard a lot about this community. But I could never find the right page on Flickr until now. Thanks for providing the information!

[Umm Al-Qura University]

It is great because they cover so many subjects at once. University should support student learning and exploring process with many books and journals. Thank you.

Carrie W.,
Umm Al-Qura University

[Meladerm]

I heard that the library had really vast collection of digital records and journals! Really great that now I read directly from this site. Good luck with the future progress!

Meladerm

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thanks for all the marvelous info cash gifting thanks for all the marvelous info cash gifting

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The wide selection of books and journals should help the student finding relevant information about the study. That is good. I hope you also provide online resources. cheap auto insurance

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That is great.. I didn't presume before that the library has so many collection of books, journals, and other online media. It is really supporting for the studying and learning process. promotional pens

[BRay]

Great, we need more post like this...

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[modernart]

Should be great when people can find just anything they want in one place. I hope libraries in my country are supported that optimally too. wall art

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Should be great when people can find just anything they want in one place. I hope libraries in my country are supported

[Club Penguin Cheats]

I heard a lot about this community. But I could never find the right page on Flickr until now. Thanks for providing the information!

[mirc]

That is very good comment you shared.Thank you so much that for you shared those things with us.Im wishing you to carry on with ur achivments. chat . cinsellik . All the best.

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Making these portraits available online is an excellent way to advance art to the public. I can't wait till more of the collection is available.