Series - Photograph documentation

President Wolfensohn - Photographs - Meeting with President of Tajikistan - Mr. Emomali Rakhmonov...

Identity area

Reference code

WB IBRD/IDA EXC-13-03

Title

Photograph documentation

Date(s)

  • 1963 - 2005 (predominant 1995 - 2005) (Creation)

Level of description

Series

Extent and medium

32.25 linear feet of photographs; 0.93 linear feet of textual records; 3 CDs

Context area

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

This series contains photographs documenting internal and external meetings, speaking engagements, appearances, mission travel, and other events participated in by President Wolfensohn or otherwise related to the activities of the Office of the President (EXC). Most photographs are taken by World Bank Group (WBG) photographers, although some were apparently taken by country offices hosting the president or by host countries or organizations who similarly documented the event and shared the photographs withthe EXC. In the case of photos shared by other parties, a letter or note that accompanied the photos is sometimes included.

Materials in this series are almost all photograph prints; a very small number of slides, negatives, and contact sheets are also included. Photographic prints range in dimension. The majority are color but black and white photos are also included.

Most photographs are in file folders, while some are in envelopes or, in even lesser number, scrapbooks. The number of photos in folders and envelopes generally range from one to ten photos, although there are instances where a folder can contain more than fifty photos, particularly those related to mission travel. A very small number of the photos are housed in frames, likely as the result of being given to President Wolfensohn as a gift.

Photos from President Wolfensohn's mission travel are the most numerable and cover a wide variety of activities, from meeting with country heads of state, government ministers, civic leaders, and private citizens, to touring cultural sites and WBG project. Mission travel includes both visits to country members who receive World Bank Group loans as well as travel to countries that fund and donate WBG operations. A number of travel-related photographs are of Elaine Wolfensohn, President Wolfensohn's wife, who accompanied him on much of his mission travel and would often tour project and cultural sites and meet with local people independently. A small number of photograph albums sent from country governments and/or representatives that had hosted President Wolfensohn are also included in this series.

Photos related to non-mission travel activities, primarily internal to the WBG or at events in the Washington, D.C. area, are also included. These include photos from the WBG / International Monetary Fund (IMF) Board of Governors Spring and Annual Meetings as well as internal events participated in or attended by President Wolfensohn, such as loan signings, social events, and staff recognition events. Photos with senior World Bank Group staff are also included.

A small number of photos not directly related to President Wolfensohn or EXC are also included in this series. These photos presumably were used for publications or communications originating in EXC. They include photos of senior staff, loan signings, World Bank Articles of Agreement signing, and country photos. Some of these photos date from prior to President Wolfensohn's tenure or are undated.

A small amount of textual materials accompany photos.These are primarily Document Log sheets generated by EXC and contain a description and date of the photo. Receipts generated by the internal printing unit are also included in a small number of folders. Records dating from 2004-05 that relate to the management and digitization of photos in this series are also included. Other textual materials sometimes found in folders alongside photos include agendas and itineraries from meetings and mission travel documented in the photos.

A small number of publications have been included in this series. These are generally travel or tourist publications that were either collected by WBG staff during President Wolfensohn's mission travel or gifted to President Wolfensohn during mission travel. Of these publications only one, a photo album commemorating the 1997 Annual Meetings in Hong Kong, relates directly to the World Bank Group.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Photos are located in the original folders or envelopes in which they were received or in new folders when rehousing was deemed necessary.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Records are subject to the World Bank Access to Information Policy.

Conditions governing reproduction

Records are subject to the Copyright Policy of the World Bank Group.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

An inventory list is available here.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

  • Many of the photos contained in this series have been digitized and are available in World Bank Group's (WBG) Multimedia Catalog. To locate digitized versions of photos in this series, search the identifier number of the file unit in the Multimedia Catalog. The search results will include all photographs physically housed in that folder, if digitized.

  • See Records of the Office of External Relations - Photograph Library (WB IBRD/IDA EXT-02 for photos related to President Wolfensohn's tenure as World Bank Group president that were created and managed by the WBG's Office of External Relations. In particular, this series includes photos from some of the WBG / International Monetary Fund Board of Governors Spring and Annual Meetings that were attended by President Wolfensohn.

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Internal World Bank Group Archives rules based on ISAD(G).

Disclosure status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

10 April 2025

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Accession area