The Hagley Library’s Audiovisual and Digital Initiatives Department collects, preserves, and makes available a growing collection of photographs, prints, motion picture film and video, audio, and electronic records related to the history of business and technology. The collection covers a wide range of topics from heavy industry to neighborhood corner stores and from nineteenth century trade cards to digital images from this century.
The department provides reference for internal and external researchers which includes coordinating reproduction requests and permission to publish administration.
An Overview of the Collection:
- Industries: railroads, textiles, chemicals, heavy machinery, coal mining, explosives, synthetic fibers, iron/steel, shipbuilding, building construction / architecture, computers/automation, mass communication, aeronautics, and many other topics.
- Service and consumer economy: industrial design, departments stores, fashion/clothing, alcoholic beverages, cosmetics, service stations, convenience stores, etc.
- Audiovisual content from trade organizations: United States Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, and the National Foreign Trade Council among other smaller organizations advocating for the interests of business community.
- The du Pont family and the community surrounding the original DuPont Company powder yards along the Brandywine
For a more detailed look at the Hagley Audiovisual and Digital Collections search our online Finding Aids Database and Public Access Catalog.
The Hagley Digital Archives provides online access to a limited but growing selection of items from the library's collections of images, documents, and publications related to the history of business, technology, and society. Hagley's online archives gives users from all over the world an opportunity to incorporate Hagley materials into their research. It can be accessed on the web at digital.hagley.org
For further information about collections in our Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives contact Kevin Martin, Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives, at 302-658-2400 ext 276 or use our Ask Hagley online form.