Photographs are great ways of learning about the past. They hold different levels of meaning and must be viewed critically to gain a true sense of what they represent. For instance, a seemingly straightforward picture of a row of houses might contain valuable information about the way houses were used or redesigned. A street scene with people scattered along the sidewalk might not be an accurate depiction of street life at the time–were the people posed? Did they show up because they knew a photograph was being taken? Here is a list of more questions I ask myself when using
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Archives for John Rosch
Local History: Contentious Politics
Political battles are a near-ubiquitous part of our history. White Plains was the site of numerous political dramas in the late 19th- and early 20th-century. As the seat of the county and the home of many individuals who fancied themselves powerful and important, what happened in White Plains was news throughout the state. Rather than have you read two blog posts, I will direct you to a highly informative article written by local history expert Cliff Blau. The political cartoons in his article are by John Rosch, and can be seen in Rosch's scrapbooks or in Historic White Plains. The picture
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White Plains Collection Now Online!
We are happy to announce the launch of the White Plains Collection on the Digital Culture of Metropolitan New York! This project was a partnership between the White Plains Public Library, the Metropolitan New York Library Council, and Culture In Transit. The White Plains Public Library is a prime site for community memory and we hold a rich set of materials in the White Plains Collection. We have fascinating and informative photographs of buildings, people, events, and landscapes. Many are part of special collections like the John Rosch Collection, featured here. Rosch owned a photography studio in White Plains and
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