2010 Top Ten

As I wrap up my first year with the Smithsonian Institution Archives, I’d like to take a moment to pay homage to some of my favorite images. While the title “Photograph Archivist” might suggest I spend a lot of time looking at pictures, the truth of the matter is that I spend a lot of time manipulating and creating data that will make these pictures discoverable and accessible over time. A lot of this process involves scale and the application of global metadata, detecting and exploiting patterns in metadata, and establishing and implementing standards. Have I lost you yet? I do get to see some pretty amazing images though, and would like to afford those with more than a mental note. The following slide show of images simply contains things that make me happy, for no other reason than that I find them visually pleasing. I look forward to collecting many more favorites in the new year and sharing with you the rich visual history of the Smithsonian Institution and its vast collections.