Historic photographs of great cities by Detroit Publishing Co., accessed from the Library of Congress
These beautiful images are in the public domain, which means they’ve aged out of copyright, and are available for download from sources like the Library of Congress. I’ve individually selected images from some of my favorite cities, including Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans.
Most of the photographs were made by the famous Detroit Publishing Co., which created a remarkable photographic record of 25,000 glass negatives of mostly US cities in the years between 1890 and 1924. After bankruptcy, the negatives were transferred to several entities before landing at the Library of Congress.
Public domain photographs from Detroit Publishing Co.
CHARLESTON
Residence on Hasell Street, Charleston, SC
This photograph was made by William Henry Jackson for Detroit Publishing Co. in 1902 on an 8 x 10 inch glass plate negative. The print you purchase will include the black border, exactly as shown here. Image ID: 4a09475a.
East Battery Parade, Charleston, SC.
This photograph was made by Detroit Publishing Co. in 1900, on an 8 x 10 glass plate negative. The print you purchase will include the black border, exactly as shown here. Image ID: 4a05087a.
![Gallery and garden, [35 Legare Street], Charleston, S.C. Fine art print from vintage image.](https://icatchshadows.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/4a24158v-960x762.jpg)
Gallery and Garden, [35 Legare Street], Charleston, S.C.
This photograph was made by Detroit Publishing Co., between 1910 and 1920, on an 8 x 10 glass plate negative. The print you purchase will include the black border, exactly as shown here. I love the lazy dog at bottom right. Image ID: 4a24158v.
NEW ORLEANS
St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, Louisiana
This photograph was made by Detroit Publishing Co., between 1890 and 1901, on an 8 x 10 glass plate negative. The print you purchase will include the black border, exactly as shown here. Image ID: 4a04330u.
Royal Street, New Orleans
This photograph was made by Detroit Publishing Co., in the year 1900 on an 8 x 10 inch glass plate negative. The print you purchase will include the black border and the damaged top edge, exactly as shown here. Image ID: 4a28933u.
SAVANNAH
Old Colonial Cemetery, Savannah, GA
This photograph was made by Detroit Publishing Co., in 1900, on an 8 x 10 inch glass plate negative. The print you purchase will include the black border, exactly as shown here. Image ID: 4a04307a.
ST. AUGUSTINE
The Water Battery and Bastion of Fort Marion, St. Augustine
The old Spanish fort on Matanzas Bay at St. Augustine, now called Castillo de San Marcos, built in 1672. This photograph was made by Detroit Publishing Co., in the years between 1900 and 1906 on an 8 x 10 inch glass plate negative. The print you purchase will include the black border, exactly as shown here. Image ID: 4a08731a.
Old City Gate, St. Augustine, Fla
The old city gate in St. Augustine was constructed of cocquina in 1808 as part of an older city wall built by the Spanish to defend the city against English and Seminole attacks. This photograph was made by William Henry Jackson for Detroit Publishing Co. in 1901 on an 8 x 10 inch glass plate negative. The print you purchase will include the black border, exactly as shown here. Image ID: 4a08791a.
WISCONSIN
Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin
I’ve photographed and hiked Devil’s Lake many times. Formed by a glacier, it’s truly one of the world’s most stunning bodies of water. This photograph was made by Detroit Publishing Co., between 1880 and 1899, on an 8 x 10 glass plate negative. The print you purchase will include the black border, exactly as shown here. Image ID: 4a04101a.