Snapshots of the Past

An Automatic sorting machine in use in the Census Office. ... – Vintage Print

An Automatic sorting machine in use in the Census Office. ..., [between 1909 and 1920] — historic photograph
An Automatic sorting machine in use in the Census Office. ..., [between 1909 and 1920]. Historic photograph from the Automobiles collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This rare historic photograph captures An Automatic sorting machine in use in the Census Office. ... in remarkable detail. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. It makes a striking addition to a living room, study or office, and a thoughtful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

An Automatic sorting machine in use in the Census Office. ...

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Office workers at the Census Office in Washington, D.C., are shown running an automatic sorting machine, a device descended from Herman Hollerith's punched-card system. Hollerith's sorters read the holes punched in cards that each stood for one census record and dropped every card into the correct compartment, replacing hand tallies that had made earlier counts slow and error-prone. The photograph is from the National Photo Company, whose studio recorded many scenes of federal work in the early twentieth century. Machines like this helped the bureau handle the 1910 census far more quickly than before.

Created / published[between 1909 and 1920]
Medium1 photographic print.
GenrePhotographic prints 1900-1920.
NotesNational Photo Company Collection. No. 3388.
SubjectsUnited States.--Census Office--People--Washington (D.C.)--1900-1920. Office workers--Washington (D.C.)--1900-1920. Machinery--Washington (D.C.)--1900-1920.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan3,288 × 4,096 px · prints to 11 × 14 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-178124

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