Early Landscape Photography of the American West

http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/dgexplore.cfm?col_id=200
"Early Landscape Photography of the American West" from the New York Public Library Digital Gallery. This collection presents photographs taken during the exploration of the American West in the 1860s and 1870s.

Selection Decisions
The library obtained these photographs in the 19th century as contemporary works. In this particular digital exhibit they've included over 200 images that they believe to be the most historical. The exhibit explains the background of the images in the collection, briefly explaining the photographers and describing how the library acquired the photos from each.

Metadata
The collection contents are divided into 7 categories. Each category has pages of thumbnail images. Each thumbnail has a title, ID number, and the option to view image details. When you select this option, a long list of details is provided, including: source, creator, date, medium, item physical description, library division, digital image ID, and the New York Public Library call number. There is also a link to view the library catalog record.

Object Characteristics
Each image can be viewed in three sizes. You initially view it as a thumbnail, when you click for image details a larger image appears next to the metadata. From there you have the option to further enlarge the image. This takes you to a separate full screen view of the image, along with the metadata. There is also the option to view a printer friendly version, or to purchase as a print or gift. The images are high quality, and are enlarged quickly and easily.

Intended Audience
The exhibit can be enjoyed by anyone browsing the library's digitial collection. If the viewer likes what they see, they have the option to further search for similar images, using similar source, names, library division, and/or collection guide.