The virtual exhibition, "Picturing the Century" is based on the first part of a two–part exhibition located in the Circular Gallery of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. The exhibition opened 12 March 1999 and is on display through 4 July 2001.

Celebrating the end of the century, this unique photographic exhibition marks the first time in more than 20 years that the National Archives and Records Administration has showcased its priceless collection of more than 9 million photographs. The photographs depict momentous events, illustrate changes in American society, and capture the hopes and fears of the American people throughout the 20th century. These photographs were taken by both famous and anonymous photographers who all worked, at one time, for the Federal Government.

The online exhibition is organized into six galleries (A New Century, The Great War & the New Era, The Great Depression & the New Deal, A World in Flames, Postwar America, Century's End). Also featured in the exhibition are portfolios of the work of seven distinguished photographers especially well–represented in NARA's holdings: Walter Lubken, Lewis Hine, George W. Ackerman, Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, Charles Fenno Jacobs, and Danny Lyon.

Instructions about ordering copies of images appearing in "Picturing the Century" can be found here. An exhibition catalogue for "Picturing the Century," published in conjunction with the University of Washington Press, can also be ordered online or by phone, 1-800-234-8861.