The Photographic Archive of Fairfax County, Virginia - The General Collection, c.1720-2007

Access and use

Location of collection:
Fairfax County Public Library
Fairfax County Public Library
City of Fairfax Regional Library
Virginia Room
10360 North Street
Fairfax, VA 22030-2514
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Chris Barbuschak
Phone: (703) 293-2142
Phone: (703) 293-6227 ext. 6 (Virginia Room)
Fax: (703) 293-2155

Summary

Extent:
44.0 linear feet
Creator:
Virginia Room - Fairfax County Public Library
Abstract:
The Photographic Archive of Fairfax County, Virginia - The General Collection consists of photographs and negatives depicting life in Fairfax County spanning the years c. 1720-2007.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The General Collection consists of 44.0 linear feet of approximately 12,627 images. Formats include prints and negatives. Sizes of photographs may vary. Photographs depict life in Fairfax County spanning the years from c. 1720 - 2007.

Biographical / historical:

In the mid-1950s, Mary K. McCulloch, Director of Libraries, developed the Virginiana Collection of the Fairfax County Public Library. Ever since then, individuals, authors, private organizations and public agencies have donated photographs, negatives, slides, postcards, and copies of prints to the Virginia Room. The collection grew immensely after 1965 with the establishment of the Fairfax County Historical Landmarks Preservation Commission (later renamed the Fairfax County History Commission) when they continuously donated hundreds of photographs. The now defunct History Program of the Fairfax County Office of Comprehensive Planning also contributed photographs from their inventory of historic sites and preservation programs. The Fairfax County Health Department photographed dilapidated buildings in the county from 1961 to 1976 and also donated their photos of these long demolished buildings.

In many instances with the donation of manuscript collections, Virginia Room staff often separated photographs from those collections and inserted them into the general photographic archive. One example of this is the Henry H. Douglas Collection of Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Photographs. Henry H. Douglas (1903-1987) edited and published the second edition of H. H. Harwood's "Rails to the Blue Ridge." His photo collection, depicting many scenes along the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad from the 1930s-1960s, has been mixed into this collection.

By the early 1980s, the number of photographs in the collection reached into the thousands, making retrieval extremely difficult. In response to this problem, the Fairfax County History Commission funded a project of organizing, inventorying, and classifying the collection. Upon completion of this project in 1981, the Commission published the book "Catalog of the Photographic Archive of Fairfax County, Virginia".

The photographs in this collection represent the pictorial history of Fairfax County from its beginnings to the mid-2000s. Photos range from individuals, families, events, buildings, businesses, schools, churches, panoramas, aerial views, and many other vanished aspects of the county’s history. The entire collection is stored in acid-free envelopes and housed in acid-free boxes in a climate controlled environment. Each photo has been assigned a unique identifier and identified by title or subject. Location, photographer, and date have been included when determined. Copies of photographs can be ordered at a cost, unless a particular photo has a copyright restriction.

Acquisition information:
Items collected over a 50 year period from various donors by Virginia Room library staff.
Arrangement:

Organized by subject.