Jeff Knapp, reference and
instruction librarian,
Penn State Altoona
Just Browsing: A Picture is Worth . . .
Jeff Knapp, Eiche Library, Penn State Altoona
We’ve all heard the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” I’d argue however, that in many cases, they are worth even more than that.
I have always been a “visual” person. That is, I’ve always been able to learn more quickly when I’m seeing something than when I’m being told something. And I have always enjoyed looking at historical photographs, because as a history buff, it’s amazing to me the knowledge that can be conveyed by a simple image.
Case in point: When I was a kid, my grandmother used to have a stack of old National Geographic magazines in her basement, dating from the late 1930s to early 1940s. I used to love looking at them, even the ads. I remember seeing one ad for a denture adhesive that struck me as sort of strange. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it at first, when it suddenly hit me: it was the accompanying picture in the ad. The picture was of a young, pretty woman, probably in her twenties, smiling one of those big, wide-open smiles that only people in ads for dental products have. In my experience, ads for denture products always featured people from a more mature demographic—the type of folks that would be more likely to use such products. When I mentioned this fact to my grandmother, she chuckled, and imparted to me some historical knowledge: When that ad was published, she told me, it was not uncommon at all for people to get dentures in their twenties!
The reason that memory still stands out in my mind is not so much the underlying fact that I learned—that fluoridation and improvements in dental hygiene have reduced or delayed the need for dentures—as how I learned it. That one picture in an old ad taught me something I never would have thought to ask about!
Here are some websites I have found that should bring joy to those who love photography:
Shorpy Historical Photographs: This blog bills itself as “the 100-year-old photography blog that brings our ancestors back, at least to the desktop.” Many haunting images here, especially from the Depression era. As a blog, it allows you to post your comments on the many featured images. It also allows you to order full-size prints of some photos.
Mustaches of the Nineteenth Century: “The Nineteenth Century gave us many things, but above all it was a hotbed of facial hair experimentation, and this is but a poor sampling of those many lost forms.” Thus opens this blog, a collection of 19th century photos of—that’s right—mustaches. It’s amazing the amount of work and care that have gone into some of these. Don’t know what a philtrum is? You can check out the helpful glossary of technical terms to find out.
Square America: This one really fascinates me. A “gallery of vintage snapshots and vernacular photography,” this site features old snapshots that have been purchased at flea markets and the like. Birthday parties, Christmas celebrations, kids in the pool, and family vacations—they’re all here. There is a wealth of detail about 20th century American family life that you can divine from some of these photos—clothing, hair styles, even facial expressions—that in most cases can’t even be adequately described in words.
Happy New Year . . . and Happy Browsing!
Note: Some collections are restricted to Penn State Alumni Association 
members only. Join the Alumni Association.