National Press Club

Library of Congress photography curator talks with Photo Team March 18

Alan Kotok

March 05, 2026

By Jack Delano, "Inside the Union Station waiting room, Chicago, Illinois (1943)." Courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
By Jack Delano, "Inside the Union Station waiting room, Chicago, Illinois (1943)." Courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Adam M. Silvia, curator of photography with the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, tells how libraries and archives document the history of American photojournalism at the next meeting of the National Press Club Photography Team, on Wednesday, March 18 at noon. The meeting is open and free for all NPC members, but RSVPs are required.

Silvia will describe the role of libraries, archives and museums in preserving the history of photojournalism. He will outline his own experience at the Library of Congress, which holds over 10 million photojournalism images, and note the challenges faced today by cultural institutions. Plus, Silvia will offer some solutions for saving these vital resources.

Silvia joined the Library in 2016, where he specializes in collecting, preserving and promoting photojournalism. He has authored a guide to photojournalism research and acquired the work of over 70 photojournalists for the Library. One of Silvia's collections is "COVID-19: American Experiences" in 2020, with crowdsourced images from every state in the U.S.

The Photography Team meeting takes place in the Cosgrove Lounge. We begin with your self-bought lunch from the Reliable Source at noon, with the program starting at 12:45 p.m. for both in-person and remote participants. Registration is required for in-person and for remote participants, who will receive the Zoom link before the meeting starts. Sign up here.