The Presbyterian Historical Society holds a vast collection of Religious News Service (RNS) photographs: 60,000 images depicting domestic and international religious news between 1945 and 1982. The photographs capture a diverse array of faith traditions and community experiences in the United States and around the world; offer insights into the interplay between religion and politics; and document pivotal historic events, including the global efforts to rebuild after World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and demonstrations and conflicts over abortion, nuclear proliferation, presidential elections, and the conflict in Northern Ireland.
PHS is the recipient of a 2023 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Implementation grant.
The $330,678 grant will fund the digitization of 22,500 images, newspaper clippings, and related documents from the Religious News Service Photograph Collection, and the rehousing of the entire collection of 60,000 photographs and accompanying materials.
Explore digitized RNS images, hear from project participants, and follow along as we digitize images from the Religious News Service Photograph Collection.
In 2018, PHS was awarded an NEH Humanities Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Planning Grant to develop a pilot project to selectively digitize and provide access to about 500 photo files and rehouse 1,315 photo files.
Faith Reframed: The RNS Digitization Project
Digitizing the Religious News Service Photographs White Paper
Learn about the grant award that made this work possible.