Emilis Melngailis is well known as both a Latvian composer and collector of folk songs. But he has also been one of the first ethnography photographers, one to capture singers and their surroundings in his images. E. Melngailis started his folkloristic field-work in 1911 In the notebooks submitted by him to LFK there are 46 photographs taken between 1921 and 1931. The images although not in the best shape because of being kept between the pages, are very interesting, valuable and ... beautiful Here are some samples.

 A building from Virga village near Nica. This is the first image found in Malngailis' collection

 A man from Kolka vicinity

 The house of Salemons Buls in Breci, parish of Nierza

Beggars singing at the church in Augstpils

Village of Udeni, in Cibla

A single farm in Cibla

 Anna Stroza in Rauna, born 1873

E. Melngailis together with his son Tenis recording Kristaps Repss (b.1862) and Anlize Slavinska (b. 1842) in Lielsvitene

Latvian farms on the other side of the border, in modern Lithuania (previously belonged to Rucava parish)

Dievins (b. 1874) and his wife from Sventaja, Lithuania.

 Some building in Rucava, the last image of the collection