Among them are John K. Hillers, William Henry Jackson, Sumner W. Matteson, Edgar A. Mearns, Victor Mindeleff, and Timothy H. O'Sullivan. Most material consists of prints, some in albums. There are also some negatives, photomechanical prints, artwork, and clippings. The material is mostly historical or ethnological and includes images of specimens, portraits, and scenes from life. Some scenic views are included.
Coverage is worldwide outside North America.
See appendix H for the classification scheme. There are also special finding aids for portions of the collection. The prints are from several different collections. Related material purchased with the same funds is in the Division of Ethnology collection . Accession 40,922 shows Elephanta Cave in Bombay.