Through Three Lenses: The Visionary Who Captured an Empire in Color

After his death, the fate of his photographic archive remained uncertain. Fortunately, a large portion of his original glass negatives was eventually acquired by the United States Library of Congress in the mid-twentieth century. Recognizing their immense historical and artistic value, the library began extensive preservation work, ensuring that the fragile plates would not deteriorate over time. These efforts laid the foundation for a global rediscovery of Prokudin-Gorsky’s legacy.