IntroductionThe pictorial collections of the Library of Congress
represent an immense fund of human experience, knowledge, and
achievement. Works in these collections touch upon almost every
realm of human endeavor: science, art, invention, government and
political struggle, and the recording of history. In these
realms, the arts of drawing, printmaking, and photography have
served a multitude of purposes over the years. They have been
the bearers of information, vehicles of commentary and
persuasion, tools in the creative process, and media of artistic
expression. All of these roles are represented in the drawings,
prints, and photographs in the Library's collections. These
works' value as historical documents is informed and enriched by
the circumstances of their creation. As bearers of information,
the arts of drawing and printmaking have a long history. Since
prehistoric times drawing has been a universal language, used by
people to record and, in the process, interpret their
surroundings. Printmaking, a