W. L. Armstrong Washingtoniana Glass Negative Collection
name: label: Photographer
content: Minor, Frank (photographer)
label: Creator
content: Armstrong, W. L., Mrs.
label: Names
content: Smithsonian Institution -- 1880-1890
place: label: Place
content: Washington D.C. -- photographs -- 1860-1890
label: Place
content: White House (Washington, D.C.)
label: Place
content: Hains Point (Washington, D.C.) -- 1880-1980
label: Place
content: Manassas (Va.) -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
topic: label: Topic
content: Streets -- Washington (D.C.)
label: Topic
content: United States Capitol (Washington, D.C.) -- 1880-1890
label: Topic
content: Washington Monument (Washington, D.C.) -- 1880-1890
label: Topic
content: Waterfronts -- Washington (D.C.)
label: Topic
content: Dredging -- 1880-1890 -- Washington (D.C.)
label: Topic
content: Cycloramas -- 1880-1890
label: Topic
content: Cities and towns -- 1880-1890
label: Topic
content: Capitols -- 1880-1890
label: Topic
content: Buildings -- 1880-1890 -- Washington (D.C.)
label: Topic
content: Architecture -- 1880-1890 -- Washington (D.C.)
label: Topic
content: Libby Prison -- 1880-1890
label: Topic
content: Paintings -- 1880-1890
label: Topic
content: Panoramas -- 1880-1890
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by Mrs. W. L. Armstrong, February 3, 1986.
creator: label: Photographer
content: Minor, Frank (photographer)
label: Creator
content: Armstrong, W. L., Mrs.
setName: label: See more items in
content: W. L. Armstrong Washingtoniana Glass Negative Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Glass plate negatives of views of Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Virginia.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Photographer(s) and circumstances of creation unknown.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Cubic foot (2 boxes
)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1865-1885
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: The donor was given the plates by Frank Minor [Miner?], the uncle of a friend, Mrs. Whitney Aitchen of Laurel, Md. Minor had obtained the plates from an unidentified friend who knew of his photographic interests; apparently they had been in his possession for some years before he gave them to Mrs. Armstrong, for she noted that he was unable to print them "by that time" due to failing eyesight.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0183
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Wet collodion negatives
label: Type
content: Aerial views
label: Type
content: Photographs
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by NMAH Staff, undated

Collection digitized by Noah Stewart, digital imaging technician, 2021.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Collection scanned in 2021.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Wet collodion negatives
label: Genre/Form
content: Aerial views -- 1880-1890 -- Washington (D.C.)
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- Black-and-white negatives -- Glass -- Collodion -- 19th century
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: 11 8" x 10" and 10 4" x 5" glass photonegatives, some marked "1885", one marked "1865" and "Libby Prison"), but most seem from ca. 1885; silver gelatin except two silver collodion plates, one of which bears the "1865." The large plates were stored in a nineteenth-century wooden, grooved plate box (now stored separately). Images depict buildings and sites in Washington, D.C., including: aerial or bird's-eye views possibly taken from the (unfinished?) Washington Monument; the Manassas Panorama building with the completed (capped) Monument visible in the background; Washington street scenes, especially Pennsylvania Avenue; the Smithsonian castle; the U.S. Capitol; the White House; and dredging operations to create Hains Point.