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Historical Backgrounds for Your Next Zoom Meeting

Archival photo of crowds at Coney Island

Conference calls getting stale? It might be time to mix things up with a new webcam backdrop.

The Library of Congress digital collections contain countless options, offering a vast variety of historical images that are free to download and use. Just save your favorites and turn on Zoom’s Virtual Background feature to add some old-school flair to your meeting.

To get you started, here are ten of our favorite archival photographs, ranging from idyllic landscapes to glamorous city scenes:

On the beach, Palm Beach, Fla. (between 1900 and 1906)

 

Times Square north at night, New York City (1934)

 

An Adirondack mountain stream (1902)

 

Coney Island, in Luna Park (between 1910 and 1915)

 

Exposition grounds, World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago (1893)

 

Silverton and Sultan Mountain, Colorado (1901)

 

Hollywood, California. Sign and ticket window of a large dance palace (1942)

 

Railroad train (between 1900 and 1920)

 

York from City Walls (ca. 1890-1906)

 

Horses (1922)

 

Looking for even more video backdrops? We compiled some great library backgrounds earlier this year.

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