By Samar Altuwayjiri, B.F.A. ‘25, Graphic Design
Jiayi Song, B.A. ‘26, Communication
Handwritten letters, prints of the nation’s capital city and 19th-century maps from the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection are being meticulously photographed as part of an ambitious project. The goal? Expand collection access for researchers, students and the general public.
The museum takes professional, close-up photographs of artworks to support preservation, academic research and public outreach. These photographs are valuable resources for curators and researchers, enabling them to examine the artworks without the risk of damage. Photography also documents objects and their condition —important information for collections management and care. Furthermore, collections photography bridges the gap between the museum and the communities it serves. Before this academic year, many artworks in the collection only had low-resolution images available. Now, new high-resolution images of 1,000 artworks will be on-file. These photos will help students, researchers and educators explore the collection remotely, and they can be used in teaching, publishing and social media. Better access also means more visibility and impact for work at the Albert H. Small Center for National Capital Area Studies.
The project would not be possible without the museum’s collections department, photographer and student employees, as well as support from the Albert and Shirley Small Family Foundation. In consultation with Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Curator Kasey Sease, collections staff identifies objects to be photographed, sets a shot schedule and readies objects. Photographer Breton Littlehales, assisted by graduate student workers Piper LaRue, Meredith Durand and Kelsey Limpert from GW’s Museum Studies program, take the photos. The team sets up specialized equipment in the center at Foggy Bottom for each photography session.
Collections photography has always been a necessary part of the museum’s preservation and documentation efforts, but the process can be cumbersome and challenging. First, many fragile paper-based pieces, such as old newspapers or historical documents, must be handled with care. Additionally, for framed artworks, the photography team must account for reflections and use different equipment to achieve a successful shot.
Typically, the museum’s collections photography is done at a permanent studio in the Avenir Foundation Conservation and Collections Resource Center, located in northern Virginia. The team’s innovative photography set up at Foggy Bottom includes mobile and collapsible lighting and backdrop components. The process can be labor-intensive and costly, but the resulting images are an excellent resource for scholars and educators, and student employees receive hands-on training and experience in an important part of museum work.
Many new images are already available online, reinforcing the museum’s commitment to preserving and sharing its collections. As the project wraps up, more artworks will be added to the collection’s website and available for students to research and write about on the Evolution D.C. blog.
About the Authors
Samar Altuwayjiri is a Saudi undergraduate at GW studying graphic design. She is skilled in Adobe Creative Suite, Figma and web design.
Jiayi Song is an undergraduate at GW studying communication. She is interested in public storytelling, visual media and digital communication.
Header image: Collections Specialist Kailey Dunmire and Museum Studies graduate student Kelsey Limpert (M.A. ‘26) position historical newspapers for photography. Photo by Hanna Leka/the George Washington University.