On occasion we dig into picture archives to see if any old gems can illuminate current news. Today's prompt is the volatility in global stock markets, and the search term at the Library of Congress photo archive is "New York Stock Exchange." Among the results is a group of 11 pictures of the NYSE floor from 1907:

Pearson's Magazine via Library of Congress file

The floor of the New York Stock Exchange, circa October 1907, secretly shot with a camera hidden in the photographer's sleeve.

The caption attached to one of the prints shows how far a Pearson's Magazine photographer had to go make the images:

"This remarkable photograph, made expressly for Pearson's magazine, represents the first successful attempt to catch in the camera the great gambling scene on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Extraordinary precautions are taken to prevent photographers from giving the American public an idea of the place where stocks involving thirty million dollars have been gambled with in one day. This picture was made through the empty sleeve of a coat used to conceal the camera from the sharp eyes of the stock exchange guards...."

Pearson's Magazine

In 1907 the stock market was in a tumult. We're not economics pros here at PhotoBlog, so we'll leave any comparisons to you to draw, along with two links to related reading:

• In 2007, Robert F. Bruner and Sean D. Carr wrote a book called The Panic of 1907: Lessons Learned from the Market's Perfect Storm. There's a long excerpt of the The Panic of 1907 at the financial blog The Big Picture.
• Ron Chernow's excellent The House of Morgan contains a detailed description of the role J.P. Morgan played in countering the crash.

More:

• Pictures from global stock markets earlier this morning
• The scene outside the NYSE today
• Up-to-the-minute business news coverage from msnbc.com
• PhotoBlog posts "From the Archives"

When I saw a new, stunning picture of an 11,000-foot hole being blown in a levee to protect Cairo, Ill., I thought I remembered some depression-era pictures of the river town by the Farm Security Administration's John Vachon. I found those pictures, in low-res scans at the Library of Congress site, but also found two high-res pictures of efforts to fight the effects of a great flood in 1937. One, an uncredited FSA aerial, is very reminiscent of yesterday's events:

Farm Security Administration via loc.gov

Levee being dynamited to save Cairo, Illinois, during the 1937 flood.

The other is credited to Russell Lee:

Russell Lee / Farm Security Administration via loc.gov

Piling sandbags along the levee during the height of the flood. Cairo, Illinois, 1937

And on YouTube, there's this video of the aftermath of the 1937 flood:

Whenever I see pictures of natural disasters that threaten to repeat themselves, as when watching Thomas Edison's panoramic motion picture of the 1900 Galveston hurricane during 2005's Hurricane Ike, I wonder how much we really can learn from history, when it comes to putting people in the path of natural forces.

The Wikipedia entry on the 1937 Ohio River Flood is here.

Our story on the current flood is here.

Certain photographs can have an uncanny ability to influence their viewers.

For Brandon Liljenquist, a tintype photograph of an American Civil War drummer boy turned out to be such an image.

Liljenquist tells the Library of Congress that a portrait of a young Civil War drummer boy "reached across time to challenge his beliefs about what makes an army great, leading him on a journey of discovery."

Library of Congress

Young George W. Weeks of Company D, 8th Maine Infantry Regiment with a drum in front of painted backdrop showing shoreline with house and lighthouse. In a letter dated October 12, 1865, Weeks wrote to his mother, "I am coming home at last. I have served three years in the greatest army that was ever known." Weeks died from malaria at the age of 21.

Liljenquist recounts of his journey, "Over time, as my brother Jason and I learned more about the Civil War, we came to understand the meaning of Weeks' words. We came to learn the ideals an army embraces are what make it great, not its military prowess." 

Library Of Congress

Five soldiers, four unidentified, in Union uniforms of the 6th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia outfitted with Enfield muskets in front of encampment.

Facts discovered and sentiments expressed by soldiers caused the Liljenquist family to dig deeper and broaden their collection.

Library of Congress

Unidentified young soldier in Confederate shell jacket, Hardee hat with Mounted Rifles insignia and plume with canteen and cup.

In just over 15 years, the Liljenquist family amassed over 700 images, the majority now on display at the Library of Congress. Read more about the Liljenquist family collection here.

Library of Congress

Unidentified young soldier in Union uniform and forage cap with revolver

"The photographs were acquired from a myriad of sources: shops specializing in historical memorabilia, civil war shows, photography shows, antique centers, estate auctions, eBay, and other collectors like us. Assembling this collection has been a labor of love for our entire family," Lindquist said.

Library of Congress

Unidentified African American soldier in Union uniform with wife and two daughters.

"The biggest surprise for everyone was seeing images of African American soldiers. Our classmates were unaware of the significant contribution these soldiers made to the Union victory."

In the end, Liljenquist hopes the photographs illustrate the magnitude of our nation's loss of 620,000 lives in a way never before shown in the history books.

Related content:
Civil War stereographs on Flickr
Library of Congress' 1600+ stereographs
150 years on, 3-D Civil War photos unveiled
How Civil War photography changed war

**editor's note (4/12/2011) When this post was initially published, the photos were reported to be on display at the National Archives, which is incorrect. The photos are on display at the Library of Congress.

The Library of Congress announced a fascinating glimpse of Civil War images to be viewed in 3-D.

Library of Congress Photography Curator Carol Johnson said on their blog that stereo photography first became popular around the time of the Civil War. In fact, many Civil War photographs were made specifically to be viewed in 3-D.

U.S. Corps of Topographical Engineers via Library of Congress

A group of nine men pose in front of a tent with a surveying instrument at left. The two men seated center and right are most likely Frederick W. Door and John W. Donn. The officer seated to the left is William H. Paine who invented the steel tape reel worn by the man standing on the right. Standing second from right appears to be Allan Pinkerton. Photograph from the main eastern theater of war, the Peninsular Campaign, May-August 1862.

The Library of Congress is featuring images of original Civil War stereographs on Flickr along with recently acquired digital anaglyphs made from several of the stereo views. Anaglyphs are the blue and red tinted images you need those funny 3-D glasses for.

Library of Congress

General Ulysses S. Grant leans over a bench to examine a map held by General George G. Meade at a council of war in 1864.

Many stereograph cards like the one above are being digitized and made available online. There are already over 350 on display here.

Library of Congress

Stone church in Centreville, Va. during the Civil War.

Library of Congress

Anaglyph stereograph made from digital images of a pair of stereograph negatives (above) by George N. Barnard in March 1862.

In addition to anaglyphs, the Flickr set features rare stereographs printed on cards and some of the Library’s unique original glass negative stereo plates.

Library of Congress

Library of Congress

Anaglyph stereograph made from digital images of a pair of stereograph negatives (above) of the Petersburg railroad depot in Richmond, Va., during the Civil War.

Related content:
Civil War stereographs on Flickr
Library of Congress' 1600+ stereographs
Nightly News video: Faces of the Civil War
How Civil War photography changed war