Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

None.

Use Restrictions

Consult repository for information.

Preferred Citation

Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs Photograph Collection, Virginia Room, Fairfax County Public Library

Acquisition Information

Collection transferred to the Virginia Room by the Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs on March 15, 2018.

Processing Information

Chris Barbuschak, 2019-2021
EAD generated by Ross Landis, 2023

Historical and Biographical Information

The Fairfax County Division of Information opened on March 1, 1962, with the primary function of enlightening the public about the county government’s operations. To carry out this function, the Information Office prepared and published regular annual and monthly reports, citizens handbooks, pamphlets, brochures, code sections, ordinances, departmental reports, and the Weekly Agenda newsletter. The division also wrote press releases and provided photographic needs for the county’s departments.

The Division of Information was originally based at the Fairfax Courthouse and supplemented in the 1960s by three substations in Groveton, McLean and Annandale. These substations also sold county auto tags, dog tags, maps, and studies to the public. In 1968, Elliot G. Shaw, Jr., the Director of Information Services, created the official flag for Fairfax County. The Board of Supervisors adopted the flag in June 1968, and it continues to be in county-wide use today.

In the fall of 1968, the Division of Information was reorganized and reconstituted as the Division of Public Affairs. The Board of Supervisors directed that the reorganized division assist county government officials with communication issues; make available a maximum amount of county government information and activities to the news media; create publications with essential information for citizens; respond to informational requests; and stimulate public interest in county government. Presently known as the Office of Public Affairs (OPA), the division is based in the Fairfax County Government Center and continues to be the hub for the county’s media operations.

Scope and Content

The Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs Photograph Collection consists of 44 boxes containing millions of images spanning the years 1962-2009. Formats include 4x5 sheet film; 35mm negative film; 120 negative film; slides, contact sheets; photographic prints; and CD-ROMs. Throughout the division’s history, the Office of Public Affairs (OPA) built a photo archive documenting county government events, meetings, ceremonies, people, places, and buildings. These images were used for a variety of purposes including publication in county newsletters, reports, and news releases. Beginning in the 1970s, the OPA began photographing presentations at every Board of Supervisors meeting. These included certificate and award presentations, proclamations, and other ceremonial happenings. The bulk of this collection consists of images from board presentations. Subjects include the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, county agencies, employees, buildings, and events.

Series 1: Negatives 1964-1971, Boxes 1-2

The Fairfax County Division of Information originally used 4x5 sheet film to carry out their photographic work. Each negative in this series was originally placed into envelopes with handwritten descriptions, arranged alphabetically by subject, and housed in a small cardboard tray box. The negatives have since been rehoused into acid-free envelopes and their original alphabetical order has been maintained. The Division of Information featured many of these images in the Fairfax County Annual Reports; the Weekly Agenda; and the Fairfax County Courier employee newspaper. In some instances, clippings from these publications accompany the negative.

Series 2: Negatives, 1971-1973, Boxes 3-4

This series contains 35mm negative film; 120 negative film; and contact sheets from 1971-1973. During those years, the Office of Public Affairs (OPA) maintained their negatives in plastic sleeves in two binders labeled “Photo File A-Z”. They were organized alphabetically by topic and that order has been maintained. Occasionally negatives are accompanied by news clippings pasted on paper that feature its image.

Series 3: Negatives, 1974-1978, Box 5

This series contains the OPA’s negatives from 1974-1978. Beginning in 1974, the OPA solely used 35mm negative film. They also changed their photo archiving methods by placing negatives into letter-sized envelopes and arranged them chronologically with handwritten descriptions. Almost all of the 1974 negatives are missing and presumed lost. Beginning on August 31, 1976, the OPA started including strips of contact sheets in their negative envelopes. The negatives and accompanying contact sheet strips have since been rehoused into PrintFile archival preservers. The original chronological order is maintained.

Series 4: Negatives, 1979-1980, Box 6

The OPA had a different method for archiving their 35mm negatives for 1979 which is contained in this series. Instead of using letter-sized envelopes, the division housed their negatives in plastic pages and alphabetically arranged them by subject in a binder labeled “Photo File 1/79-12/79”. Contact sheets accompany some of the negatives. Most of the negatives are undated but presumed to be from 1979 while others are labeled 1980. The original alphabetical order is maintained.

Series 5: Negatives, 1980-1986, Boxes 7-9

In 1980, the OPA reverted to chronologically organizing their negatives in letter-sized envelopes, a process they continued through 1986. Those negatives are contained in this series. In September 1983, the OPA began including typed-detailed pages of whom was depicted in board presentation images. Due to these expanded details, multiple descriptions will be found for the same dated set of negatives in the container list. Occasionally, photographs accompany the negatives in this series. The negatives have since been rehoused into PrintFile negative preservers, but the original chronological order is maintained.

Series 6: Photographs and Negatives, 1987-2006, Boxes 10-31

From 1987-2006, the OPA chronologically rehoused their 35mm negatives and accompanying print photographs into plastic pages which are found in this series. Interdepartmental memos, event programs and documents are also occasionally included. From 1993-2002, the OPA started featuring the name of the supervisor giving a presentation to the photographed subject in parentheses in their descriptions. Negatives and prints from January-April 1995 are missing and presumed lost. Beginning with the October 28, 2002 board meeting, the OPA started including CD-ROMs of digital images with the negatives and photographs. In 2006, the OPA discontinued using film altogether and images are contained on CD-ROMs and contact sheets. The original chronological order is maintained.

Series 7: CD-ROMs, 2001-2008, Boxes 32-33

This series include CD-ROMs containing digital photos. Included are photos from 2007 board meeting presentations, dedications, ceremonies, and other images used for the Courier newsletter. Occasionally contact sheet printouts are included with the CD-ROMs. Digital files have been described in the container list as they were saved onto the CD-ROMs. The series is arranged chronologically.

Series 8: Original Indexes, 1971-1993, Box 34

This series contains original indexes created by the OPA for their photo archive. The OPA created a subject index on paper for their 1964-1971 negatives. For 1975-1977 negatives, they used a card index system. From 1987-1993, the OPA simply used a paper index to track images they captured in chronological order.

Series 9: Slides, 1964-1998, Boxes 35-37

This series contains color slide film. Unlike the bulk of this collection, the slides were not individually indexed and identified by the OPA. Most of the slides were grouped together alphabetically by subject in two binders, while other slides were mixed together and stored loosely in a bankers box. Many of the slides were used in public presentations conducted by the OPA, especially for bond referendum presentations. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject, and the slides are in PrintFile slide preservers.

Series 10: Photographs, 1963-2009, Boxes 38-41

The OPA maintained a separate collection of photographic prints organized by subject which are featured in this series. When the collection was originally donated to the Virginia Room, there were many loose photographs that did not have a subject file associated with them. Those loose photos were added to the already-existing file system. In some instances, photographs were removed from their main subject folder and given a new sub-folder to further expand the index and create better access. In some instances, negatives, contact sheets, and news releases can be found in these folders. The folders are arranged alphabetically by subject.

Series 11: Office of Public Affairs Employee Magnetic Photo Albums, c. 1970s-2000, Boxes 42-44

The OPA staff created and maintained their own magnetic photo albums. These albums include photos of OPA employees, picnics, holiday events, going away parties, baby showers, parties, retirements, bowling events, Board of Supervisor members, County Executives, Celebrate Fairfax, and the Bull Run Jamboree with Wolfman Jack.

Related Material

None

Separated Material

Microfiched Office of Public Affairs news releases dating from 1968-1992 were removed, cataloged, and added to the Virginia Room’s microfiche collection.

Index Terms

• Fairfax County (Va.)
• Fairfax County (Va.). Board of Supervisors
• Fairfax County (Va.). Office of Public Affairs

Adjunct Descriptive Data