Carol M. Highsmith is American photographer, born in Leaksville North Carolina, who has photographed all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in order to document the early 21st century life in America. With photographs ranging from landscapes to architecture to everyday Americans at work, Highsmith has created an impressive record of American life. In 2009 the Library of Congress began acquiring digital scans of Highsmith's work in order to create a photographic archive of America and it's growth in the 21st century. As of 2017 over 42,000 images had been donated, with the goal of donating over 100,000 unique images of life in America.