The Arlington library system has opened a new window on the county’s history during the 1980s-90s.
The library’s Charlie Clark Center for Local History has digitized approximately 3,000 photos from the Arlington Courier, a weekly newspaper covering the county during that period.
The collection of prints and negatives was donated to the library in 2002 by Emily Schlesinger, who owned the newspaper before it was acquired by Connection Newspapers and rebranded as the Arlington Connection. (Previously, the Courier had been owned by Dear Communications.)
The collection chronicles people, politics, education and business life in the county. As part of the digitization effort — led by digital archivist Gregory Pierce — captions have been included.
Not all people shown in the photographs have been identified, but “if you know names, we’re always happy to take that information,” said Heather Crocetto, the library system’s archivist.
The digitization effort took about four months, conducted by Pierce when he had time available. Most shots taken by the newspaper staff are black-and-white, while some handout photos used in coverage are in color.
The collection includes both photographs that ran in the paper and those that were taken at the same events but never published.
“There are some remarkable finds,” the library system said, adding:
“Beyond the recognizable names, the collection captures everyday Arlington: school events, community gatherings, local businesses, elected officials and slices of county life that might otherwise have been lost to time. Many of the photographs even retain the original cropping marks used by the Courier’s editors before publication.”
Having the archives online will provide broader and easier access to researchers, Crocetto told ARLnow. But “people can still request the original” images, she said. They are kept at the county’s archival facility and can be delivered to Central Library with advance notice.
The physical archive contains about 2.5 linear feet of material.
The Arlington Courier is one of many print news publications that have come and gone in Arlington through the years. The lone survivor is the Arlington Connection, which currently publishes twice a month and contains primarily feature articles.
The Falls Church News-Press, which publishes weekly, contains an “Our Man in Arlington” column, penned through the years by Richard Barton and Charlie Clark. The current column author is William Fogarty.
Full print editions of the Arlington Courier from 1989-90 have been digitized by the Virginia Chronicle initiative of the Library of Virginia.
That collection also includes another newspaper by the same name, published in the 1930s but unconnected to the later one.
Based on a limited digital collection held by the Library of Virginia, the 1930s-era Arlington Courier appears to have existed primarily to support President Franklin Roosevelt and attack the more conservative Rep. Howard “Judge” Smith (D-8), although it did also report on community news.
