Environmental History Digital Library


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American Environmental Photographs, 1891-1936 - (dead link)
"This collection consists of approximately 4,500 photographs documenting natural environments, ecologies, and plant communities in the United States at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. Produced between 1891 and 1936 by a group of American botanists generally regarded as one of the most influential in the development of modern ecological studies, these photographs provide an overview of important representative natural landscapes across the nation. They demonstrate the character of a wide range of American topography, its forestation, aridity, shifting coastal dune complexes, and watercourses."
Images from the University of Chicago Library
- American Memory, Library of Congress

American Transcendentalism Web
"This interlinked hypertext was initiated in Spring 1999 by Virginia Commonwealth University graduate students studying in Professor Ann Woodlief's class in Studies in American Transcendentalism. It is a work in progress, and submissions of papers, texts and notes on them, and links are gladly welcomed..."
Sections include: Authors & Texts ; Roots & Influences ; Ideas & Thought ; Criticism ; Resources & Bibliographies ; Communication Center.

Arbor and Bird Day Observance, c.1872-1920
Bibliographical references from the Library of Congress

Arctic Science Journeys Radio Scripts - (dead link)
Alaska Sea Grant College, University of Alaska, Fairbanks

  • Salmon Boom - (dead link) (April 19, 2002)
    "As Doug Schneider reports in this week's Arctic Science Journeys Radio, scientists studying Alaska lakes have found evidence that the state's salmon booms once lasted centuries, not the mere decades seen today."
    Listen to the story on RealAudio

Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) - Antarctica Online

Calvin Photographic Collection
 "Samuel Calvin, Professor of Natural Sciences at the University of Iowa (1873-1911) and State Geologist, took more than 5,000 glass plate negatives, which he used to illustrate specific geological features for class instruction, public lectures, and publications. The photographic techniques are of high quality, and the images are as aesthetically pleasing as they are geologically informative...In addition to geological landscapes and features, Calvin documented mines, quarries, mills, and other buildings. The collection also contains portraits of his family, colleagues, and classes in the field. While Calvin may have taken most photographs to exhibit geological features, the images are beautifully composed. Calvin did the developing himself, producing rich blacks and a full range of grays."

Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC)

Chemical Industry Archives
"The Chemical Industry Archive consists of documents from the chemical industry itself, most of which were obtained through lawsuits. Other documents were obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests."
A project of Environmental Working Group

Conservation and Environmental Maps
"The historic and more recent maps contained in this category show early exploration and subsequent land use in various areas of the United States. These maps show the changes in the landscape, including natural and man-made features, recreational and wilderness areas, geology, topography, wetland area, vegetation, and wildlife. Specific conservation projects such as the growth and development of U.S. National Parks are included in this category."
- American Memory, Library of Congress

Cultivating Canadian Gardens: A History of Gardening in Canada
"...tells the story of the development of gardening in Canada through the books, periodicals, and printed materials collected, for the most part, by the National Library of Canada. It begins with the earliest recorded information on the plantings of the Hurons who had been tending their crops long before Europeans arrived in North America, and concludes with a brief look at the flood of printed material now available across the country."
Sections include: Planting the Seeds ; Cultivating the Garden ; The Cultivators ; Reaping the Harvest ; Bibliography ; Other Gardening Sites.
- National Library of Canada

Denver Public Library - The Photography Collection
"The Western History / Genealogy Department houses a major collection of photography documenting the development of the American West. The gallery exhibits will introduce you to topics chosen from the collection."

  • The Parks Album
    "...documents buildings and facilities in the Denver City & Mountain Parks network. The album contains 755 images on 95 pages, taken in Denver and the surrounding area. The pictures show playgrounds, tennis courts, filling stations, asphalt plants, bridges, county farms, fire stations, dams, restrooms, golf courses, municipal buildings, sewage treatment plants, police departments, highway department garages, zoos, campground cooking shelters, outdoor theaters, and other park structures."

Educational Council on Indic Traditions - Ecology Articles
Includes the following articles by Deep N. Panday, Indian Forest Service, India:

European Society for Environmental History (ESEH)

The Extermination of the American Bison
By William Temple Hornaday, 1889
"...a report to the Secretary of the Smithsonian which had originally been printed in the Smithsonian's annual report for 1887, severely criticizing the near-extermination of bison in the West, and advocating protection of what remained of the herds."
American Memory, Library of Congress

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
History, images and settlement.

The Fight for Conservation
By Gifford Pinchot, 1910

Garden and Forest - (dead link)
1888-1897
From Making of America online journals

The Geo-Images Project
"The Geo-Images Project attempts to make images (mostly photographs) that are useful in teaching geography more widely available using computers and the internet."
It was conceived, constructed, and is maintained by G. Donald Bain, Director of the Geography Computing Facility, University of California at Berkeley.

Hebert Hoover Online - Digital Archives

  • Hoover Dam
    "120 historical documents, photographs and maps pertaining to the construction of Hoover Dam are available online. Details concerning the need for the dam; the economic, political, and social problems overcome to complete the dam; the tremendous organization and creativity needed to construct the dam (including a visual re-creation of that construction); the political intrigue over the naming of the dam; the facts and figures and the voices of the people that resulted in this modern miracle of construction

Historical Publications of the Agricultural Experiment Station
Kansas State University
"...They are included here as a matter of historical interest. The Agricultural Experiment Station published hundreds of circulars, bulletins, and other publications (for a total of more than 24,000 pages) before 1946."

International Environmental Law and Policy (etext)
A Comprehensive Reference Source
By David Hunter, Jim Salzman and Durwood Zaelke, 2nd Ed., 2002.
(University Casebook Series)

  • International Environment Law Bibliography - Pre-1992
    "...contains references to numerous late 19th century-1992 materials on international environmental law, arranged by subject matter in pdf files. ELR thanks Don Anton, Director, Australian Centre for Environmental Law-ANU and Convenor, Environmental Law Programs, Australian National University Faculty of Law, for these materials."
    - Environmental Law Reporter

The Johnstown [PA] Flood Museum
The Great Johnstown Flood of 1889

Klaudy·n (Czech)
"Internetov˝ magazÌn pro historickou geografii a environment·lnÌ dÏjiny"

The Land of Little Rain (exts)
By Mary Austin, 1904

Library of Congress - Map Collections
"The focus of Map Collections is Americana and Cartographic Treasures of the Library of Congress. These images were created from maps and atlases and, in general, are restricted to items that are not covered by copyright protection."
Major categories are: Cities and Towns ; Cultural Landscapes ; Conservation and Environment ; Military Battles and Campaigns ; Discovery and Exploration ; Transportation and Communication ; General Maps.
- American Memory, Library of Congress

  • Zoom Into Maps (K12)
    "This activity introduces historical maps from the American Memory collections. A graphic organizer, for analysis and note taking, and a set of guiding questions for each type of map have been provided."
    Sections include: Hometown, USA: Local Geography ; Exploration and Discovery ; Migration and Settlement ; Travel and Transportation ; Environmental History ; Military Maps ; Pictorial Maps ; Unusual Maps.
Louisiana State Museum

Love Canal Collection
 Includes: Introduction ; Online Documents ; Guide to Collection ; Related Materials ; Links
State University of New York, Buffalo, University Libraries

[Muir, John] John Muir National Historic Site
"The John Muir exhibit features photographs, family and belongings, specimens collected by John Muir on display at John Muir National Historic Site, Martinez, California. John Muir, father of the National Park System and founder of the Sierra Club was a naturalist and conservationist."
- National Park Service

National Academy Press (free downloads)

National Geographic

  • Eye in the Sky
    "...an investigation into the state of the planet from the point of view of satellites."
    Sections include: Nature's Fury ; Human Impact ; Exploration ; Human Conflict ; News ; Classroom Ideas ; History of Satellites ; Resources & Links.

National Park Service History
Sections include: Online Books ; Historical Themes ; Maritime History ; Research and Education.

Natural History Museum, London, England

Nature (11/04/1749)
First Issue of Nature

Nature Transformed: The Environment in American History - (dead link)
Major sections include: Native Americans and the Land ; Wilderness and American Identity ; The Use of the Land.
"Essays by leading scholars offering: content overviews ; discussion guidance ; bibliographies ; online resources ; primary sources ; printable images."
From TeacherServe, National Humanities Center

New York Public Library

  • Surveyors of the American West
    William Henry Jackson: Diary, Collection Guide, Galleries of Stereoscopic Views and Mammoth Prints.
    Official photographer of the U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories in 1870.
    Robert Brewster Stanton: Field Notes, Collection Guide, Gallery.
    Led a survey party through the Grand Canyon in 1889-1890.

On the Duty of Governments in the Preservation of Forests,
Franklin B. Hough, 1873. A paper read at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in Portland, Maine, this inspires the Association to prepare and submit a Memorial on forest preservation to Congress, which initiates Congressional interest in forest protection.
- American Memory, Library of Congress

One Planet Many People: Atlas of Our Changing Environment
"...Through a combination of ground photographs, current and Historical satellite images, and narrative based on extensive scientific evidence, this publication illustrates how humans have altered their surroundings and continue to make observable and measurable changes to the global environment."
- United Nations Environmental Programme, 2005.

The Physical Geology of the Grand Canon District
By Clarence Edward Dutton in 1882

Reclaiming the Everglades: South Florida's Natural History, 1884-1934
"...includes a rich diversity of unique or rare materials: personal correspondence, essays, typescripts, reports and memos; photographs, maps and postcards; and publications from individuals and the government...The materials in this online compilation are drawn from sixteen physical collections housed in the archives and special collections of the University of Miami, Florida International University and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida."
- American Memory, Library of Congress

Report of the Superintendent of the Yellowstone National Park for the Year 1872
"This is the first superintendent's report on the first national park. Written by a man who was also one of the first and most enthusiastic promoters of the Yellowstone Park idea, this work demonstrates the practical problems park administrators faced..."
- American Memory, Library of Congress

Stephen F. Austin State University Library - East Texas Research Center - (dead link)

Tacoma [WA] Public Library - Northwest Room
Sections include: Washington Place Names ; The Genealogy Collection ; The Photography Collection ; Tacoma Building Index ; The Murray Morgan Prize ; Murray's People ; Ships & Shipping Database ; Unsettling Events ; Tacoma Obituary Index.

Tending the Commons: Folklife and Landscape in Southern West Virginia
"...incorporates 679 excerpts from original sound recordings and 1,256 photographs from the American Folklife Center's Coal River Folklife Project (1992-99) documenting traditional uses of the mountains in Southern West Virginia's Big Coal River Valley...The online collection includes extensive interviews on native forest species and the seasonal round of traditional harvesting...and documents community cultural events such as storytelling, baptisms in the river, cemetery customs, and the spring "ramp" feasts using the wild leek native to the region. Interpretive texts outline the social, historical, economic, environmental, and cultural contexts of community life, while a series of maps and a diagram depicting the seasonal round of community activities provide special access to collection materials
- American Memory, Library of Congress

Trade Secrets : A Moyers Report
"...reveals how the public's right to know the truth about the thousands of chemicals that surround us has been compromised. On this site, you will read documents from a secret archive uncovered during a lawsuit against chemical companies...You will also see how chemicals pervade your daily life."
PBS Online

U.S. Department of Agriculture

  • On Line Photography Center - Photo Research
     "The USDA Online Photo Center provides a complimentary source of high-quality digital photographs, a select few of which appear on these web pages...The digital collection has grown to over 20,000 images and continues to grow.

U.S. Dept. of Energy - Nevada Operations Office

  • Nevada Test Site
    ""...has seen more than four decades of nuclear weapons testing. Since the nuclear weapons testing moratorium in 1992 and under the direction of the Department of Energy (DOE), test site use has diversified into many other programs such as hazardous chemical spill testing, emergency response training, conventional weapons testing, and waste management and environmental technology studies."

U.S. Environmental Protection Office (EPA) - History Office

U.S. Geological Survey

  • The United States Geological Survey: 1879-1989
    Circular 1050
    "A history of the relation of geology during the first 110 years of the U.S. Geological Survey to the development of public-land, Federal-science, and mapping policies and the development of mineral resources in the United States"
    By Mary C. Rabbitt

University of Washington Libraries - Digital Collections

  • John N. Cobb Photographs
    "...founder of the University of Washington College of Fisheries, was a photographer in his own right. He specialized in the documentation of fisheries in the United States, especially those in Alaska and the Pacific Coast. Among the photographs included in this digital collection are images of salmon, halibut and cod fisheries along the West Coast, whaling activities in Alaska, clamming and oystering industries in Washington, and images reflecting the first 6 or 7 years of the University of Washington College of Fisheries."
  • Northwest of the West: The Frontier Experience on the Northwest Coast
    "This exhibit looks at the Pacific Northwest, especially the Puget Sound country, and asks, What kind of Euro-American settlers came here? Why did they come? Were their motives similar to those who settled in the trans-Missouri West? Why did the Pacific Coast develop as a basically urban society, when the West was rural? Did settlers here think of themselves as being on a frontier? When they thought of the West, did they actually look east of the Cascades and the Sierras, rather than at themselves?

University of Wisconsin Digital Collections

  • The Ecology and Natural Resources Collection - (dead link)
    "...brings together in digital form two categories of primary and secondary publications: writings about research in ecology and natural resources conducted by University of Wisconsin faculty and staff; and unique or valuable titles in these fields held by the University of Wisconsin Libraries."
Washington State University - Digital Collections

  • Frank S. Matsura Image Collection [1907-1013]
    "He photographed both the profound and minor changes taking place in and around Okanogan [Washington]; from the construction of the Conconully Dam that provided for the irrigation of thousands of acres of farmland, to the installation of a city street sprinkler in Okanogan to keep the dust settled on downtown dirt streets."

Water Politics and the History of the Fort McDowell Indian Community
Essay by James Q. Jacobs, Adjunct Faculty, Central Arizona College

Writings of John Muir
Full text editions


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Academic Info.