Snapshots of the Past Abacuses L sku-13263171940 Print

Snapshots of the Past historic print of commercial school, middle school grade abacus (soroban) practice, sized 16 x 20. Listed under Abacuses, in Black, size L; SKU sku-13263171940 and UPC 462180751545. The company reproduces historical maps, photos and prints restored from Library of Congress archives.

Founded in 2001, it was the first company to offer Library of Congress images as fine-art reproduction prints. Its buyers include over 200 bookstores and other retailers, along with tens of thousands of internet customers. It was selected as a vendor for the White House redecoration project in 2008. Lithography was invented in 1796, allowing inexpensive mass production of prints.

The Library of Congress began its American Memory pilot project in 1989; that project laid the groundwork for the National Digital Library Program, which began in 1995 and digitizes selected collections concerning American cultural heritage. The reproductions use fine-art and archival paper; prints made with archival paper and pigmented inks are described as suitable for keeping and passing down.

The range also includes old holiday posters and early aerial views of Manhattan, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco, offered for display or as gifts.