Introduction
When using images, you must:
- Have permission from the owner (e.g., through a license), or
- Find images that do not have copyright protection (in the public domain)
This guide contains information about how to find these types of images.
In this guide
Featured resource
CC Search:
A portal for searching sites that contain images with Creative Commons (CC) licenses.
Disclaimer
This site is intended for informational purposes only. Library staff members cannot give legal advice. For legal advice, you should contact an intellectual property attorney.
Public domain images
Images without copyright protection are in the public domain, ususally because the copyright has expired or the image was created by the U.S. government.
Listed below are some databases with public domain images. Not all of the images in these databases are in the public domain; be sure to read the copyright information and terms of use for each database!
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American Memory: United States Library of CongressA collection of over 9 million primary source documents and archival materials related to American history and culture. There are 67 collections containing photos and prints; these can be browsed or searched as a group or individually.
Note: Not all images in American Memory are copyright-free. Each collection has its own copyright statement, so be sure to check these before using any images form this site. For more information, see the Copyright and Primary Sources and Legal pages of this site. -
FDR Library: Digitized Historical PhotographsFrom the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, this site contains digitized photographs in three collections: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, The Great Depression and New Deal, and World War II. According to this site, "Unless copyright information is stated in the image caption, all of the digitized material available online from the FDR Library Archives belongs in the public domain." See the Citation and Copyright page for more information.
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FreeFoto.comContains images to download for use on Web sites and for non-commercial print purposes; requires source credit. For more information, see the Educational Policy and Free Use Rules pages.
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New York Public Library Digital GallerySearch for or browse through over 800,000 images from the New York Public Library's collection. According to the site, "[s]ome of the images in the Digital Gallery may be subject to third party rights such as copyright and/or rights of privacy/publicity." For more information, see the Library's Terms and Conditions.
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Old Book IllustrationsContains illustrations from books in the public domain, which can be browsed by subject or searched by keyword. See the site's Terms of Use for information about copyright and use.
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Public Domain Image: Royalty-Free Stock Photo DirectoryHigh resolution, royalty-free public domain images; a credit and link back to the site is requested. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
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PublicDomainPictures.netRepository for over 23,500 public domain photos. According to the site, "[a]ll pictures are free for commercial and personal use," but "[i]f you are intend to use an image you find here for commercial use, please be aware that no model or property release was obtained and pictures featuring products should be used with care."
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United States Library of Congress Print & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC)Contains catalog records for and digital reproductions of images held by the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.
NOTE: Many of the images found on this site are NOT copyright free. For information about which images do not have copyright restrictions, see the site's Copyright and Other Restrictions that Apply to Publication/Distribution of Images: Assessing the Risk of Using a P&P Image and Rights and Restrictions Information pages. -
U.S. History ImagesCollections of images related to United States history, organized chronologically and by subject. According to the site's author, "[t]he images are free for you to use any way you want with just a couple of exceptions." For information about those exceptions, see the site's Terms of Use.
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WPClipartClipart designed for use with word processors. See the Legal page for terms of use and other restrictions.
