Frances Benjamin Johnston photographed herself in 1896 as an independent ‘new woman’, sitting by a fireplace with a cigarette and a beer stein. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsca-38981 (left), and Carol M. Highsmith took a self-portrait in a broken mirror at the Willard Hotel during its 1980s restoration. Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-16608 (right).
America for the Ages
2024
American society has undergone enormous changes since the late 19th century, and, in some cases, its history has been lost to time. In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, America for the Ages aims to inspire renewed appreciation of the nation’s diversity and majesty through the discerning eyes of two distinguished photographers: Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864–1952) and Carol M. Highsmith (1946–). Linked by fate and a shared vision, both photographers recognized the historical significance of visual documentation for future generations.
Johnston, an early pioneer in photography, crisscrossed America with an 8x10 camera from the 1890s through the 1940s. Her photographs shed light on the country’s evolving industrial, political, and social landscapes in the early 20th century. Inspired by Johnston’s approach, Highsmith followed in her footsteps half a century later, using a large-format camera to document scenes of American life in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and many U.S. territories.
2024
American society has undergone enormous changes since the late 19th century, and, in some cases, its history has been lost to time. In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, America for the Ages aims to inspire renewed appreciation of the nation’s diversity and majesty through the discerning eyes of two distinguished photographers: Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864–1952) and Carol M. Highsmith (1946–). Linked by fate and a shared vision, both photographers recognized the historical significance of visual documentation for future generations.
Johnston, an early pioneer in photography, crisscrossed America with an 8x10 camera from the 1890s through the 1940s. Her photographs shed light on the country’s evolving industrial, political, and social landscapes in the early 20th century. Inspired by Johnston’s approach, Highsmith followed in her footsteps half a century later, using a large-format camera to document scenes of American life in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and many U.S. territories.
When Johnston bequeathed her camera and thousands of copyright-free photographs to the Library of Congress, she set a remarkable precedent for Highsmith to do the same. While traveling more than 2 million miles along the roads of America (mostly back ones), she has produced tens of thousands of memorable images that she is generously donating—copyright- and royalty-free—to our revered national library. Her work marks the first comprehensive visual study of the entire nation since the documentation of the Depression and Dust Bowl eras by Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and their Farm Security Administration colleagues more than three generations ago.
Passengers on the Lusitania wave to a crowd gathered on the dock as it arrived for the first time in New York on September 13, 1907. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-40388
About Frances Benjamin Johnston
—
Frances Benjamin Johnston studied drawing and painting at the Académie Julian in Paris. Her true calling—journalism and photography—emerged upon her return to Washington, D.C. By the early 1890s, she opened a professional studio and became one of the first American women to gain notoriety as a photojournalist, portrait photographer, and unofficial White House photographer to four administrations.
—
Frances Benjamin Johnston studied drawing and painting at the Académie Julian in Paris. Her true calling—journalism and photography—emerged upon her return to Washington, D.C. By the early 1890s, she opened a professional studio and became one of the first American women to gain notoriety as a photojournalist, portrait photographer, and unofficial White House photographer to four administrations.
Johnston photographed presidents, their families, politicians, and members of Washington society. She played a vital role in the pictorial photography movement, elevating the technical demands of her craft while emphasizing evocative and artistic expression. Later in her career, with the support of the Carnegie Corporation, she focused on surviving antebellum mansions and elaborate gardens throughout the American South.
A Native American woman and her child pose on the Navajo Nation in Monument Valley amid sandstone buttes in Northern Arizona near the Utah border. Courtesy of Carol M. Highsmith
About Carol M. Highsmith
—
Carol M. Highsmith is a renowned visual documentarian for the Library of Congress, the world's largest library. Her and Johnston’s collections are the top two of six featured collections out of more than 14 million images in the library’s Prints & Photographs Division’s holdings. The two women’s work resides alongside that of Civil War master photographer Mathew Brady, Depression- and Dust Bowl-era photojournalist Dorothea Lange, and the Historic American Buildings Survey.
—
Carol M. Highsmith is a renowned visual documentarian for the Library of Congress, the world's largest library. Her and Johnston’s collections are the top two of six featured collections out of more than 14 million images in the library’s Prints & Photographs Division’s holdings. The two women’s work resides alongside that of Civil War master photographer Mathew Brady, Depression- and Dust Bowl-era photojournalist Dorothea Lange, and the Historic American Buildings Survey.
In addition to her work for the Library of Congress, Highsmith’s photographs have been featured by the American Institute of Architects, the General Services Administration, and National Geographic. Her spouse, Ted Landphair, now a retired Voice of America “Americana” editor and blogger, frequently accompanies her on “shooting” expeditions and contributes to her numerous publications as a writer and editor.
Highsmith is also publisher and CEO of Chelsea Publishing, LLC in the couple’s home city of Hagerstown, Maryland.
Founded in 1907, Pike Place Market on Seattle’s waterfront is one of the oldest continuously operating public markets in the country. Its iconic sign was created by architect Andrew Willatsen and erected in 1937. Highsmith documented the sign at dusk in August 2009. Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-04067
By the Numbers
—
Frances Benjamin Johnston:
—
Frances Benjamin Johnston:
1800s–1900s—Johnston’s photographic career spanned the late-19th through early-20th centuries. / 1880s—Johnston studied at the Art Students League in Washington, D.C., which was later incorporated into the Corcoran School of Art. / 1901—She photographed the first grand reconstruction of the “Hotel of Presidents”: the Willard in Washington, D.C. / 1947—Johnston gifted her body of work, including prints, negatives, and correspondence, to the Library of Congress. / 33 (Identified)—Number of U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C., that Johnston visited during her photographic career; she also documented sites in Bermuda, Canada, the Middle East, and Western Europe. / 5—Number of presidents Johnston photographed: Grover Cleveland (22nd & 24th), Benjamin Harrison (23rd), William McKinley (25th), Theodore Roosevelt (26th), and William Howard Taft (27th). / 20,000+—Number of prints amassed by Johnston throughout her photographic career, including 3,700 glass and film negatives. / 55+—Number of years Johnston was active in her photographic career, which ended at her home studio on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
Carol M. Highsmith:
1900s–2000s—Highsmith’s photographic career spans the late-20th and early-21st centuries. / 1980s—Highsmith studied at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. / 1981—She photographed the second extensive restoration of the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. / 1985—Since this date, Highsmith has gifted her vast body of work, including prints and digital files, to the Library of Congress. / 50—Number of states Highsmith has extensively explored during her photographic career, plus Washington, D.C. and many U.S. territories; she also traveled to the former Soviet Union, Europe, and China. / 5—Number of presidents Highsmith photographed: Ronald Reagan (40th), George H. W. Bush (41st), William J. Clinton (42nd), George W. Bush (43rd), and Barack Obama (44th). / Approaching 100,000—Number of images amassed—so far—by Highsmith throughout her photographic career. / 44+—Number of years Highsmith has been active in her photographic career.
The Hackberry General Store, south of the Hualapai Indian Reservation in Arizona, appeals to the old soul of every traveler haunted by nostalgia along historic U.S. Route 66, 2006. Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-04067
Vision
—
After introducing Johnston and Highsmith’s lives and legacies, the exhibition will present around 100 photographs of scenes and sites, landscapes, and an array of America’s people captured between 1890 and the present. Supporting materials may include newspaper articles, magazine spreads, videos, and audio sound bites by broadcast reporters. Its design will awaken an appreciation of our indelible land and the astounding accomplishments of these two trailblazers by employing a classic American aesthetic, blending vintage and modern elements with a subtle yet harmonious use of reds, whites, and blues. Organized by theme as part of America’s 250th birthday celebration in 2026, the exhibition will provide a rich experience for visitors of all ages.
—
After introducing Johnston and Highsmith’s lives and legacies, the exhibition will present around 100 photographs of scenes and sites, landscapes, and an array of America’s people captured between 1890 and the present. Supporting materials may include newspaper articles, magazine spreads, videos, and audio sound bites by broadcast reporters. Its design will awaken an appreciation of our indelible land and the astounding accomplishments of these two trailblazers by employing a classic American aesthetic, blending vintage and modern elements with a subtle yet harmonious use of reds, whites, and blues. Organized by theme as part of America’s 250th birthday celebration in 2026, the exhibition will provide a rich experience for visitors of all ages.
Learning Outcomes
—
Upon visiting this exhibition, visitors will be able to:
—
Upon visiting this exhibition, visitors will be able to:
—Identify with the lives and legacies of two distinguished women photographers: Francis Benjamin Johnston and Carol M. Highsmith.
—Explore America’s rich past and evolving present through the lens of documentary photography.
—Compare and contrast photographs depicting scenes of Americana from the 19th into the 21st centuries.
—Recall historic buildings and sites, landscapes, and people that express the American spirit between 1890 and the present.
—Explain the importance of visual documentation for posterity and the incredible value of free access to archival images for use by future generations.
—Explore America’s rich past and evolving present through the lens of documentary photography.
—Compare and contrast photographs depicting scenes of Americana from the 19th into the 21st centuries.
—Recall historic buildings and sites, landscapes, and people that express the American spirit between 1890 and the present.
—Explain the importance of visual documentation for posterity and the incredible value of free access to archival images for use by future generations.
By 1895, Johnston opened a commercial photography studio behind her parents' house at 1332 V St. NW in Washington, D.C. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsc-04835
Target Audiences
—
This exhibition aims to attract:
—
This exhibition aims to attract:
—Women and girls of all ages will be inspired by Johnston and Highsmith, two camera-carrying female explorers in a male-dominated industry who doggedly documented the American experiment throughout their photographic careers.
—Historians, history enthusiasts, and researchers captivated by America’s enduring spirit across the ages can study its aspirations and cultural heritage through photographs preserved for future generations.
—Journalists and photographers will examine Johnston and Highsmith’s photographic approaches, along with supporting materials that chronicled their extraordinary experiences as visual storytellers traversing the American landscape.
—Teachers and students interested in lessons about the nation’s evolving history can utilize the work of two legendary photographers who reveal the diversity and beauty of this country’s people and places—from sea to shining sea.
—International citizens and tourists captivated by tales of American enterprise and innovation will discover remarkable photographs by two self-made women from vastly different eras who dared to accomplish the unthinkable.
—Historians, history enthusiasts, and researchers captivated by America’s enduring spirit across the ages can study its aspirations and cultural heritage through photographs preserved for future generations.
—Journalists and photographers will examine Johnston and Highsmith’s photographic approaches, along with supporting materials that chronicled their extraordinary experiences as visual storytellers traversing the American landscape.
—Teachers and students interested in lessons about the nation’s evolving history can utilize the work of two legendary photographers who reveal the diversity and beauty of this country’s people and places—from sea to shining sea.
—International citizens and tourists captivated by tales of American enterprise and innovation will discover remarkable photographs by two self-made women from vastly different eras who dared to accomplish the unthinkable.
Kate Carter, on her 90th birthday, posed in the log cabin where Highsmith’s great-grandfather, Pleasant Jiles Carter (1847-1931) and grandfather, Yancey Ligon Carter (1873-1947) were born and lived in Wentworth, North Carolina, 1985. Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-11830
Budget
—
$181,610 or about 9% of a $2 million annual exhibition expenditure. The reasonable cost per square foot would range from $45 to $72.
—
$181,610 or about 9% of a $2 million annual exhibition expenditure. The reasonable cost per square foot would range from $45 to $72.
Johnston photographed this scene, a grassy path with steps from a rose garden to a wildflower sanctuary, at Robert Low Bacon’s estate in Old Westbury, Long Island, New York, before 1930. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsca-37464
Potential Programming
—
Exhibition Tour:
—
Exhibition Tour:
Join Carol M. Highsmith for a conversation about Frances Benjamin Johnston, her “beau ideal,” while she shares insightful tales and inspiring stories from her travels with her spouse, Ted Landphair, across America.
Moderated Panel:
Discover the lives, legacies, and uncanny connections between distinguished women photographers Frances Benjamin Johnston and Carol M. Highsmith. Hear how their generous donations to the Library of Congress contribute to the preservation of America’s cultural heritage for future generations.
Entrepreneurship Workshop:
Carol M. Highsmith, often called “America’s Documentarian,” shares the insights and lessons of her long and multifaceted career in which she took on enormous projects that produced both eminently useful, inspirational, and lasting outcomes and products. It was, in fact, a special invitation to view Frances Benjamin Johnston’s amazing and monumental Library of Congress collection that inspired Highsmith, then a neophyte photographer beginning a one-person startup, to exclaim to the Library’s archivists, “I can do that.” It was, of course, a preposterous dream at the time—but one that she realized in spades. The ever-enthusiastic Highsmith’s determination, high ethical standards, and decades-long parade of achievements have already inspired others. In person, her life story and career suggestions will galvanize others, notably aspiring women.
Independence Day Picnic:
Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with delicious American cuisine on “America’s Main Street” at the museum. Don’t miss bluegrass, jazz, and a marching band. Enjoy fun activities for the whole family. Snap a selfie, or two, in a vintage photo booth.
Films:
This series presents captivating portrayals of women who embraced the innovative and expressive medium of photography to capture the spirit of America in the 20th century.
—Finding Vivian Maier (2013) is the intriguing story of the enigmatic and masterful street photographer who, over five decades, captured over 100,000 negatives, which she never revealed to the world.
—American Masters—Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning (2014) explores the life, passions, and uncompromising vision of the influential photographer, whose enduring images document five turbulent decades of American history, including the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II Japanese internment camps.
—Berenice Abbott: A View of the 20th Century (1992) examines the life and legacy of one of the greatest American photographers of the 20th Century. From her portraits of the avant-garde taken in Paris during the 1920s to her documentation of New York in the 1930s, to her science photography of the 1950s, and her studies of small-town America, Abbott’s genius lies in the incredible range of her work.
—Finding Vivian Maier (2013) is the intriguing story of the enigmatic and masterful street photographer who, over five decades, captured over 100,000 negatives, which she never revealed to the world.
—American Masters—Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning (2014) explores the life, passions, and uncompromising vision of the influential photographer, whose enduring images document five turbulent decades of American history, including the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II Japanese internment camps.
—Berenice Abbott: A View of the 20th Century (1992) examines the life and legacy of one of the greatest American photographers of the 20th Century. From her portraits of the avant-garde taken in Paris during the 1920s to her documentation of New York in the 1930s, to her science photography of the 1950s, and her studies of small-town America, Abbott’s genius lies in the incredible range of her work.
Kids’ Activity:
Wander the exhibition on a scavenger hunt to find extraordinary moments captured on film. Follow the clues as you explore America’s majestic landscape frozen in time.
An iconic landmark in Newark, Ohio, the “Big Basket” epitomized the Longaberger Co. brand until 2016 when it relocated its corporate headquarters to Frayzesburg, near Dresden. Highsmith framed this view that same year. Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-41857
Selected Checklist
—
Frances Benjamin Johnston:
—
Frances Benjamin Johnston:
1. Johnston photographed herself in the 1890s with a penny-farthing bicycle wearing men’s clothing and a fake moustache. She provoked “polite” society by challenging expected gender roles of the period.
2. Johnston at her desk in her den at 1332 V St. NW in Washington, D.C.
3. The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, also known as the “Great White City,” consisted of spectacular yet mostly temporary structures.
4. Johnston’s aerial view of the Pension Building, the location of William McKinley’s inaugural ball in Washington. Later, she would capture his final speech before he was assassinated in Buffalo, New York.
5. Johnston secured a final Carnegie grant in 1937, permitting her to photograph sites in Louisiana, including buildings at the corner of Dauphine and Orleans streets in New Orleans. By 1945, she had moved to New Orleans and settled in the French Quarter.
6. Booker T. Washington, who founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, was photographed by Johnston in 1902.
Photo Credits:
1. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsc-04884
2. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsca-50057
3. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-116999
4. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-127015
5. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsca-09508
6. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-J694-255
1. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsc-04884
2. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsca-50057
3. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-116999
4. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-127015
5. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsca-09508
6. Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-J694-255
Selected Checklist
—
Carol M. Highsmith:
—
Carol M. Highsmith:
1. Carol Highsmith and an admiring friend, Amarillo, at the Big Creek Ranch in Wyoming.
2. Highsmith captured this pristine view of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers one month before terrorists hijacked airliners to bring them down on September 11, 2001.
3. When advection fog forms near San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, workers sound foghorns to help guide vessels as they pass under it. Highsmith recorded this enchanting scene in 2012.
4. Durango & Silverton Narrow Costumed entertainers cavorted near Philadelphia City Hall at the Mummers Parade on New Year’s Day.
5. Highsmith documented this creative “diver” neon sign at the Starlight Motel in Mesa, a small Arizona city that became one of sprawling Phoenix’s many suburbs.
6. The bubble of gum enjoyed by this youngster in Seattle soon joined hundreds of other wads stuck to Gum Wall, a somewhat unsanitary tourist attraction near the city’s famous Fish Market.
Photo Credits:
1. Gates Frontiers Fund Wyoming Collection within the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-47661
2. Courtesy of Carol M. Highsmith
3. The Jon B. Lovelace Collection of California Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America Project, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-22118
4. Carol M. Highsmith’s America Project in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-56030
5. Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-49784
6. Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-50434
1. Gates Frontiers Fund Wyoming Collection within the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-47661
2. Courtesy of Carol M. Highsmith
3. The Jon B. Lovelace Collection of California Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America Project, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-22118
4. Carol M. Highsmith’s America Project in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-56030
5. Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-49784
6. Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-50434
This proposal was developed in consultation with Highsmith. The project remains unrealized as planned.
Project Details
—
Venues: None
Size: 2,500–4,000 SF
Content: Objects (100), including framed photographs, correspondence, ephemera, and audio-visual items.
—
Roles: Research, Exhibition Proposal Development
—
Project lead: Carol M. Highsmith
—
Venues: None
Size: 2,500–4,000 SF
Content: Objects (100), including framed photographs, correspondence, ephemera, and audio-visual items.
—
Roles: Research, Exhibition Proposal Development
—
Project lead: Carol M. Highsmith