LibGuides: ENGL 151: History and Literature of the 1920s (R. Spellman): Find Primary Sources

Finding Primary Sources

Primary sources are original materials created in or near the time period or event, or by the person or entity, being studied. They are the evidence used to support scholarly work, offering the closest possible view of historical subjects.

News articles, books, diaries, photographs, maps, government documents, photographs, artifacts, genealogical records, advertisements, statistics, and many other source types offer the researcer a first-hand look at historical events, individuals, places, daily life, politics, and much more.

Primary sources are accessible through library databases, a large and growing number of digitized online collections, and the physical collections of libraries, archives, special collections, museums, and historical societies.

Library Databases

ARTstor This link opens in a new window
More than 2 million images from top museums, archives, scholars, and artists — all rights-cleared for education and research.

Online Resources

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
The Library of Congress' Prints and Photographs online catalog includes photos, art and popular prints, posters, and architectural and engineering drawings. Has an international scopes, but focuses on American history and life.

Library Databases

ArchiveGrid This link opens in a new window
Access to primary source information, including birth and death records, ship logs, and cemetery records.
North American Women's Letters and Diaries This link opens in a new window
Letters and diaries depicting the personal experiences of hundreds of women. Contains materials from Colonial times to 1950.

Library Databases

Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867–1970 This link opens in a new window
Delivers detailed property and land-use records that depict the grid of everyday life in 158 North Carolina towns and cities across a century of change.
Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new window
The standard source for the quantitative facts of American history.

Online Resources

American Memory: Map Collections

Library Databases

ArchiveGrid This link opens in a new window
Access to primary source information, including birth and death records, ship logs, and cemetery records.

Online Resources

American Memory
The digital collections of the Library of Congress, dedicated to American history and experience. Browse by topic, time period, region, or inclusion of manuscripts, audio and video recordings, maps, and other media.
World Digital Library
The World Digital Library (WDL) is a project of the Library of Congress, carried out with the support of the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO), and in cooperation with libraries, archives, museums, educational institutions, and international organizations from around the world. The WDL makes available significant primary materials from all countries and cultures.