The Empire State Building – A New York and American Icon

Ninety-five years ago, on May 1, 1931, the iconic symbol of New York’s financial might, Empire State Building opened.  Conceived of and announced just prior to the Stock Market Crash of 1929, the building was meant to symbolize the financial might and ingenuity of the United States as it neared the end of the roaring twenties. […]

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Collection Spotlight: Touring Club Italiano

For more than 125 years, the Touring Club Italiano historical archive has reflected the perspective of Italians learning about their country and its vibrant culture through tourism.  Touring Club Italiano (TCI) was founded in Milan in 1894 to promote tourism across Italy.  The archive developed over time from photographs provided by the Club’s members. Now, […]

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The Publishing Nuns

By Francesca Lungarotti UIG contributing photographer, Giovanni Mereghetti, has traveled the world and his vast archives include photo reportages of many interesting and curious stories, including his photographs of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Loreto, working and managing the activities of the publishing house now called Mimep Docete in Pessano con Bornago, […]

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Tickets please

Sit back and enjoy the heyday of cinema and going to watch a film. This week on April 2nd over 120 years ago in 1902, Tally’s Electric Theater opened – it was the first permanent movie theater in Los Angeles, with the Hollywood district of the city soon to become central to film-making and cinema around […]

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Women ‘March’ing into STEM

Encouraging young girls to pursue careers in STEM fields March is Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science and Engineering Month, started by the Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) Network, founded in 1974 in USA. The initiative is all about helping young girls develop more interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) throughout their educational careers. The […]

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Collection Spotlight: Sovfoto/Eastfoto

UIG contributing partner Sovfoto/Eastfoto has long been considered one of the West’s most comprehensive sources of historical and documentary photography from Russia, the former Soviet Republics, Eastern Europe, and China.  The extensive archive covers historical events and notable people, cultural heritage, industry, geography and political content from the Russian Revolution through the fall of the Berlin […]

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Ellis Island, The Immigrant’s Gateway to America

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”.  So reads the inscription on the Statue of Liberty from Emma Lazarus’ 1883 sonnet “The New Colossus”. While Lady Liberty […]

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James Farmer: Civil Rights Hero

“I don’t see any future for the nation without integration. Our lives are intertwined, our work is intertwined, our education is intertwined.” – James Farmer During February in the United States, we recall the countless contributions to our country by African-Americans.  First established by President Gerald Ford in 1976, Black History Month aims to celebrate the […]

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Collection Spotlight: Underwood Archives

UIG contributing partner Underwood Archives offers researchers a vintage and historic glimpse into America’s past.  The collection includes thousands of images of politicians, entertainers, and other notables from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  The Underwood archive offers a peak at the daily lives of Americans in years gone by, humorous images from a simpler time, […]

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Carnival in Italy

As a new year begins, revelers of traditional and colorful festivals turn their attention and excitement to carnival season.  While the ancient origins of carnival celebrations suggest they were timed as New Year’s festivals, the modern-day carnival evolved to be more closely associated with the beginning of the solemn Christian period of Lent.  The Roman Catholic liturgical […]

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