This site contains a selection of striking color photographs of Tsarist Russia created by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii in the period from 1907-1915, and restored by the Library of Congress using digital imaging. In addition to the photographs themselves the site provides biographical information on Prokudin-Gorskii and a description of the technical process by which he created his images. The site organizes the photographs around the themes of architecture, ethnic diversity, transportation and people at work.
Type of Material:
Collection of images and text.
Recommended Uses:
Could be used as illustrative material for lectures, assignments could be created around the images or the students could browse the materials independently. The collection would be useful in Western Civilization, European History, and/or Russian history courses.
Technical Requirements:
No specific requirements
Identify Major Learning Goals:
The site is of interest from the perspective of Russian and Eurasian history and also for the information it provides on the history of photography. The vividness of the images make Imperial Russia seem to come alive. Students have a hard time believing that these photographs were produced almost a century ago. From the technical perspective, these are some of the earliest examples of color photography and the process by which they were produced illustrates some of the key principles governing color imagery to this day.
Target Student Population:
Depending on how it is used, the site could potentially be of interest to students of all ages.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
No prerequisites as such, but the more students know about Russia the more they will derive from the photographs as a historical source.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The photographs are well chosen and effectively presented. They make a strong impression. The site offers the potential for thousands of images of Czarist Russia besides the ones presented under the categories of architecture, ethnic diversity, transportation, and peoples at work. A good timeline is offered that is helpful in placing the images in the context of the historical period.
Concerns:
In addition to the photographs highlighted by the pages, I would like to see as many of the images as possible made available. The site, in other words, should function both as an exhibit and as an archive. To a certain extent it does this already, but I would like to see the maximum amount of material made available.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
Flexibility--useful from a variety of perspectives. Vivid imagery.
Concerns:
The site does not contain any actual assignments. This is not a problem as far as I'm concerned, but for those who are looking for sites that fit into the "learning object" model, this may not meet expectations.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The site is easy to navigate and enables the user to enlarge each image. A comprehensive search engine allows the user to find images based on areas of interest beyond those offered by selected categories.
Concerns:
It might be helpful if the site offered other categories for potential search.
Creative Commons:
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