Twentieth Century Data Sheet 3 a-n
The more you look, the more you see.

The "cataloging record" is created by the librarian to describe what is known about an item.  As a research historian, investigate the cataloging record for your image. 

Analysis of Artifact 3___

Questions: Answers: New questions:
An image is a photograph, drawing or other visual artifact.
  1. When was this image created?
  2. Where was this image created?
  3. Consider the photographer's point of view in creating this image. Why this pose? Why that perspective?

What does the title of the image tell you?

Subject headings are special vocabulary words which librarians assign to an item in order to describe it.

What do the subject headings tell you about this image?

 A collection is a group of items which are related to each other.

To what special collection does this image belong? 
(Follow the link to the description of this collection)

The scope of a collection describes why items are grouped together and how they are related.
  1. What is the scope of this collection?
  2. What time period does it cover? 
  3. What type of images are included?
  4. Who was the photographer? 
  5. For whom (audience) were these images created?
  6. What skills were required to make it?

What more can you learn about your image from the related images you have located?  How does it compare to similar images? Why are they related? 

What conclusions can you draw based on what you know about the period? 
  1. Why does it look the way it does? 
  2. What has it meant to others? 
  3. What does it tell you about its time and place of origin? 
  4. What point of view appears to be represented?

What does it mean to you?   How and why has its meaning changed?

© Debbie Abilock, 1999-2002
Cynthia Hirsch Kosut May 31, 1999, rev. July 6, 1999.