William James House Hall, Looking Southeast

What it is

This black-and-white photograph shows the interior hall of the former home of William James. It was taken in October 1967 as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey, a record of historic buildings. The image shows a curved staircase with white balusters and a dark handrail, a checkerboard black and white floor, an arched doorway, a wooden chair and a closed panel door. The photograph was credited to William R. Emerson in the collection record.

Why it matters

Photographs made for building surveys record how a house looked at a particular time, even though they were taken long after the people who lived there. This one shows the entrance space of James's former home, giving students a sense of the setting in which the philosopher lived. Because it was taken in 1967, it is a later record and not a view from James's own lifetime.

Look closer

• What features of the hall suggest how the house was built and furnished?
• Why might a survey photographer choose to show this view and not others?
• What can this photograph not tell you about the people who lived in the house?