INTRODUCTION

This bulletin updates teh 1996 edition, which replaced the 1987 version of Photographs for National Register Nominations. It provides information on preparing photographs for inclusion in National Register of Historic Places nominations; the use of various types of cameras, films, and techniques for photographing historic places; and guidance on documenting several types of historic properties. It provides a detailed description of the photographic process, guidance on the care and storage of images, and ideas on documenting various types of properties.

Also included is a summary of the requirements for Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation. This information helps explain what is involved in preparing formal documentation for historic properties. While this level of documentation is not required for National Register nominations, the more photographs made for the National Register approach these standards, the better they will serve the needs of present and future generations.

This bulletin also supplements existing guidance in How to Complete the National Register Registration Form, pp. 63-65, and gives further details on the use of photography to document nominated properties. Other guidance regarding photography is found in: Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning, pp. 50-51; Guidelines for Evaluating and Registering Historical Archeological Properties, pp. 36-37; and Guidelines for Identifying, Evaluating, and Registering America's Historic Battlefields, p. 17.

"Matthew Brady's New Photographic Gallery, Corner of Broadway and Tenth Street, New York" Harper's Weekly, September, 1862, p. 106 (Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress)