Illustration Sources

Millions of Images from the Smithsonian Institution's vast collections, with a Creative Commons zero license.

The Historic American Buildings Survey, the Historic American Engineering Survey, and the Historic American Landscape Survey were all projects started during the Great Depression. Measured drawings and photographs were made of buildings and structures of historic interest. The drawings and photographs of the original survey are in the public domain; some material from other sources may be present and will be identified in the record.

Browse or search more than 7,000 advertisements that appeared in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines from 1911 through 1955. The Timeline feature provides historical context for advertisements.
The materials in this collection are made available for use in research, teaching and private study.

Search or browse by category more than 9,000 advertisements. The Timeline feature provides historical context for ads. The materials in this collection are made available for use in research, teaching and private study.

The Met makes freely available images of works the Museum believes to be in the public domain, or those to which the Museum waives any copyright it might have, under a Creative Commons Zero license.

Images from the National Gallery of Art. Open access policy for digital images of works of art that the Gallery believes to be in the public domain. Images of these works are available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial. See Policy Details for specific instructions and notes for users.

A huge collection of digitized information, much of it pictorial. A few collections have been called out here below.

Thousands stereograph cards, worldwide in scope, dated from the 1850s to the 1940s. There are no known restrictions on the use of stereographs.

"This collection documents virtually all aspects of Washington, D.C., life. During the administrations of Presidents Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover". 1909-1932. There are no known restrictions on the photographs in the National Photo Company Collection.

Provides access to about 7,000 different views and portraits made during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and its immediate aftermath. The images represent the original glass plate negatives made under the supervision of Mathew Brady and Alexander Gardner as well as the photographic prints in the Civil War photographs file in the Prints & Photographs Reading Room. There are no known restrictions on photographs in this collection

American life between 1935 and 1944. Most photographs in this collection are considered to be in the public domain; however, labels on a few images indicate that they may be restricted. Privacy and publicity rights may also apply.

Collection of illustrations relating to genetics. All illustrations are in the public domain. A joint project of the Smithsonian Institution and the National Institutes of Health.

Provides access to images from the National Library of Medicine. There are approximately 70,000 images of all descriptions. The search includes a copyright filter that lets you limit to public domain items.

Over 60,000 images of Oregon with Creative Commons licensing.

Thousands of television commercials from the 1950s to the 1980s. From the D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB&B) advertising agency. This material is made available for research, scholarship, and private study.