Additional Primers
Man seated beneath rock formation at the Upper Yosemite Fall
Carleton Watkins’s Man seated beneath rock formation at the Upper Yosemite Fall.
Coxey at the Capitol. The Commonweal Army leaving Brightwood Camp.
An unknown photographer’s Coxey at the Capitol. The Commonweal Army leaving Brightwood Camp.
Remember the poor: A Salvation Army Christmas box
An unknown photographer’s Remember the poor: A Salvation Army Christmas box.
The famous torii of the temple built over the sea, on the sacred Island of Miyajima, Japan
Underwood & Underwood, publisher. The famous torii of the temple built over the sea, on the sacred Island of Miyajima, Japan
The close of a career in New York. Detroit Publishing Company photograph collection
Joseph Byron’s The close of a career in New York. Detroit Publishing Company photograph collection.
A dead war monster—Russian battleship ‘Peresvet’ wrecked by Japanese shells
An unknown photographer’s A dead war monster—Russian battleship ‘Peresvet’ wrecked by Japanese shells, Port Arthur harbor.
Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.
Unknown Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.
Doffer boys: Bibb Mill No. 1, Macon, GA.
Lewis Hine’s Doffer boys: Bibb Mill No. 1, Macon, GA.
Shorpy Higginbotham, a “greaser” on the tipple at Bessie Mine,…
Lewis Hine’s Shorpy Higginbotham, a “greaser” on the tipple at Bessie Mine, of the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Co…
Breaker #9, Hughestown Borough, Pennsylvania Coal Co…
Lewis Hine’s Breaker #9, Hughestown Borough, Pennsylvania Coal Co…
Shackleton’s expedition to the Antarctic faithful dogs being fed in the ice kennel, while Endurance was stuck fast.
Hurley, Frank, 1885-1962, photographer. Shackleton’s expedition to the Antarctic faithful dogs being fed in the ice kennel, while Endurance was stuck fast.
Packing up for home…
An unknown photographer’s Packing up for home…
Just men, but mighty important ones! The “Big Nine” at World Disarmament Conference, Washington, D.C., 1921
Keystone View Company, publisher Just men, but mighty important ones! The “Big Nine” at World Disarmament Conference, Washington, D.C., 1921
Outside sub-treasury building steps across from the New York Stock Exchange
An unknown photographer’s Outside sub-treasury building steps across from the New York Stock Exchange in New York.
Bonus Army stages huge demonstration at empty Capitol
An unknown photographer’s Bonus Army stages huge demonstration at empty Capitol.
Breadline of New Yorkers
An unknown photographer’s Breadline of New Yorkers.
Men Working on Norris Dam (Tenn. Valley Authority)
Lewis Hine’s Men Working on Norris Dam (Tenn. Valley Authority).
Dorothea Lange’s Migrant agricultural worker’s family
Dorothea Lange’s Migrant agricultural worker’s family. Seven hungry children. Mother aged thirty-two. Father is native Californian. Nipomo, California.
Packard Dump Truck
Creative Commons’s Packard Dump Truck.
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Carol Highsmith’s The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama.
Farm scene including a bright-red barn, three silos, and quite modern wind turbines…
Carol Highsmith’s Farm scene including a bright-red barn, three silos (one vintage, two modern), and quite modern wind turbines…
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Carol Highsmith’s The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama.
Packard Dump Truck
Creative Commons’s Packard Dump Truck.
Dorothea Lange’s Migrant agricultural worker’s family
Dorothea Lange’s Migrant agricultural worker’s family. Seven hungry children. Mother aged thirty-two. Father is native Californian. Nipomo, California.
Men Working on Norris Dam (Tenn. Valley Authority)
Lewis Hine’s Men Working on Norris Dam (Tenn. Valley Authority).
Breadline of New Yorkers
An unknown photographer’s Breadline of New Yorkers.
Bonus Army stages huge demonstration at empty Capitol
An unknown photographer’s Bonus Army stages huge demonstration at empty Capitol.
Outside sub-treasury building steps across from the New York Stock Exchange
An unknown photographer’s Outside sub-treasury building steps across from the New York Stock Exchange in New York.
Just men, but mighty important ones! The “Big Nine” at World Disarmament Conference, Washington, D.C., 1921
Keystone View Company, publisher Just men, but mighty important ones! The “Big Nine” at World Disarmament Conference, Washington, D.C., 1921
Packing up for home…
An unknown photographer’s Packing up for home…
Shackleton’s expedition to the Antarctic faithful dogs being fed in the ice kennel, while Endurance was stuck fast.
Hurley, Frank, 1885-1962, photographer. Shackleton’s expedition to the Antarctic faithful dogs being fed in the ice kennel, while Endurance was stuck fast.
Breaker #9, Hughestown Borough, Pennsylvania Coal Co…
Lewis Hine’s Breaker #9, Hughestown Borough, Pennsylvania Coal Co…
Shorpy Higginbotham, a “greaser” on the tipple at Bessie Mine,…
Lewis Hine’s Shorpy Higginbotham, a “greaser” on the tipple at Bessie Mine, of the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Co…
Doffer boys: Bibb Mill No. 1, Macon, GA.
Lewis Hine’s Doffer boys: Bibb Mill No. 1, Macon, GA.
Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.
Unknown Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J.
A dead war monster—Russian battleship ‘Peresvet’ wrecked by Japanese shells
An unknown photographer’s A dead war monster—Russian battleship ‘Peresvet’ wrecked by Japanese shells, Port Arthur harbor.
The close of a career in New York. Detroit Publishing Company photograph collection
Joseph Byron’s The close of a career in New York. Detroit Publishing Company photograph collection.
The famous torii of the temple built over the sea, on the sacred Island of Miyajima, Japan
Underwood & Underwood, publisher. The famous torii of the temple built over the sea, on the sacred Island of Miyajima, Japan
Remember the poor: A Salvation Army Christmas box
An unknown photographer’s Remember the poor: A Salvation Army Christmas box.
Coxey at the Capitol. The Commonweal Army leaving Brightwood Camp.
An unknown photographer’s Coxey at the Capitol. The Commonweal Army leaving Brightwood Camp.
Man seated beneath rock formation at the Upper Yosemite Fall
Carleton Watkins’s Man seated beneath rock formation at the Upper Yosemite Fall.
The primers presented here are educative curriculum materials to support teachers and teacher educators as they guide learners to think historically and critically about photographs, collect and analyze data, form and test reasonable hypotheses, and make decisions and solving problems.
Each primer is a one-page reference that provides a framework for interpreting an historical photograph, contextual information to make sense of its elements, and prompts for in-depth questions and discussions.
With proper deference due to those who plan instruction, these primers are not “teacher proof.” The primers are only planning partners, or wise-practice suggestions, intended to support teachers and teacher educators as they prepare instruction.
For more information about primers, see the list of articles in the Related Publications, especially Maddox, L.E., Howell, J.B., & Callahan, C. (2020). Wise-practice use of visual primary sources: Towards a more interactive presentation of content. The Councilor: A Journal of the Social Studies, 81(1), 1-14 and Callahan, C. (2015). Creating or capturing reality? Historical photographs of the Progressive Era. The Social Studies, 106(2), 57- 71