- Digital Horizons
- Northern Great Plains, 1880-1920
- Photography Holdings
- NDSU Institutional Repository (Do term searching of photograph collection finding aids)
- Reproductions Ordering
- Donating Digital Images
- Exhibitions
Visual images, which add a new dimension to the historical record, constitute one of the Institute’s most valuable resources. The collecting and preserving of historical images has been a primary collection focus of the Institute since its founding in 1950. Currently the photography collection numbers more than 100,000 items. The visual images preserved at the Institute touch upon almost every aspect of North Dakota life. Particular strengths include sod houses and pioneer life, all aspects of agriculture in the state, social scenes, and views of Fargo and other North Dakota cities and towns.
Access
The primary online access tool is Digital Horizons where currently over 4,000 images have been digitized and made available for research use. Each image on Digital Horizons includes complete descriptive information and links to related information including how to obtain reproductions. The Holdings link provides a complete listing of all photograph collections with a link to the finding aids for all fully processed collections.
The Institute for Regional Studies was one of ten recipients of a Library of Congress/Ameritech National Digital Library Competition award in 1997. These awards allowed institutions across the United States to create digital collections of primary resources to be offered through the Library of Congress’ American Memory website. The Institute’s contribution, Northern Great Plains, 1880-1920, features the Fred Hultstrand History in Pictures Collection and the F.A. Pazandak Photograph Collections which include over 900 images of life on the Northern Great Plains between 1880 and 1920.
Processed photograph collections are also described in the NDSU Libraries online catalog. Each record includes a link to the online finding aid. Term searching of all Photograph Collection Finding aids is available on the NDSU Institutional Repository site. In addition, the photography collections are available for use in the Institute research room, and reference staff is available to assist in your research needs. Digital reproductions of most materials are possible.
Donations
We welcome donations to our photography collection. The images preserved at the Institute and enjoyed by many are due to the generosity of donors such as yourself.
If you are considering donating digital images of historical photographs please consult the Donating Digital Images link for our requirements and benchmarks for digital capture. For further information regarding the Institute’s collecting of photographic and other documentary materials, consult its Collection Development Policy.
Contact Information
Consult our Contact Us page.