Keyword When searching by keyword in the basic search, you are in fact searching by title, author/creator, subject, people, location, and catalog number all at the same time. If you wish to search by keyword, just fill in the keyword field and click "Search".
Catalog Number Catalog numbers start with a one or two character designation, followed by a space, and then a four-digit number. Manuscripts start with "MS", Maps start with "M", and Broadsides start with "B". Ex: "MS 0123", "M 0234" or "B 0123".
Title Enter words that you would expect to be in the title of the records you wish to find.
Author/Creator Enter the name of a photographer, author, artist, or records creator using the format "Last Name, First Name" -- ex. "Denny, George"
Subject Enter general search terms (parades, historic buildings, etc), or specific local terms (White House, Lafayette Park, etc.).
People Enter the name of a person who may be the subject of a photograph, book, manuscript collection, or work of art using the format "Last Name, First Name" -- ex. "Denny, George". It is also recommended to search the Author field when looking for an archives collection by and about a particular person.
Street Address Street address information is primarily linked to photographs in the online catalog. Where relevant, it has also been linked to other records, such as architectural drawings (archives) or publications (library) that relate to a specific address. Enter information for up to two related addresses in the appropriate fields, using the related drop-down boxes: quadrant, street number (selct a block range), and/or street name. The search results will be listed with the exact match (if available) at the top, followed by the records that most closely match the search criteria.
Neighborhood To search for any records related to a particular Washington neighborhood, select a neighborhood from the dropdown box.
Searching by Square This field is currently linked to a limited number of records where square information is easily discernible, such as for deeds and other real property records. These materials are primarily found in the archives collection within the online catalog. Where relevant, square information may also be linked to other records.
Date(s) There are two dates available to each record. Some records have an Early Date, and some records have both an Early Date and a Late Date. Here are some examples of how different combinations of dates will return records:
Collection Name To limit your search to specific types of archival materials, select the appropriate check boxes
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