10 sources of free images for genealogists to use in story telling
Number 5 is a newcomer and might surprise you.
The key difference between a chronicle and academic genealogy writing is images.
Academic genealogy writing frowns on the use of illustrations and genealogy journals do not include them unless absolutely necessary. But images such as photos, maps, diagrams, documents, postcards, and illustrations are central to crafting a chronicle. So where do we find these images and ensure that they are of good quality and copyright-free?
I’ve compiled a list of my personal top-ten sources of safe-to-use images for you.
But before I share the list, a quick reminder to be sure to credit the source of any image you use in your caption. You want to include the name of the image, the creator of it, where it is hosted, and a link back to it in all those tiny letters underneath. Why? Your reader might want a copy of the image for himself, or just want to browse similar images in that websites collection. Plus it’s fun to take our readers behind-the-curtain a bit!
Now here’s my go-to list of images for chronicles (in order of frequency of use by me):
1. Internet Archive
This site offers 4.8 million digital images free for download. Simply search under the Images menu on the homepage, inputting places, people, and times of interest.
https://archive.org/details/image
2. Flickr
This website for photographers hosts millions of images, some for paid licensing, and many with Creative Commons licensing and U.S. Government works (meaning free-to-use). Put in your search term and then choose the various licensing categories to see what is available. Creative Commons means the image is free to use, you just need to credit the creator and link back to it.
3.Wikimedia Commons
This is my go to source for historical events. Most of the images hosted here are on Wikipedia pages. Everything is copyright free. Start by entering a search term and year, then scroll to see what is offered. Alternatively, go to the Wikipedia page with on that topic and download from there.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/
4. Library of Congress
This government site has a mix of public domain (copyright free) and restricted images. Read the descriptions for details and be sure to download the highest resolution file you can. Begin your search from the home page and then choose “Maps” or “Photos, Prints, Drawings”. In the search results, you can further refine using the left menu for location and years.
5. Cosmos Public Works
A newcomer for public domain works, this website contains mostly artistic images from The Met and New York Public Library, but there are also images of people and places to enhance your storytelling. Accounts are free and the search engine is designed to help you go with a “vibe” rather than just keywords.
6. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
This New York City museum has digitized much of their collection for viewing at home. Choose "public domain images" to see people, places, transportation, and household objects that can enhance your writing.
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection
Bonus tip: Most art museums post-covid have been digitizing their collections. Check the websites of the museums local to your ancestors to see what they’ve accomplished. You may be pleasantly surprised!
7. The Smithsonian Institutions
This DC-based museum offers a huge digital collection of their museum's objects and their archives. Choose "open access" to see only copyright free images. One of the most interesting collections is images of money issued by local banks in the late 1800s.
8. State and Local Public Libraries
Every US state has a network of public libraries managed from the state capital. These institutions often act as mini-archives of local ephemera such as photographs and postcards. Check on their websites for what they have there or in their files. They may have also stored these materials in the state archive. It varies by state, but they do have photos somewhere!
For example, in Pennsylvania, the State Library of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg has digitized a collection of postcards from every county. Gorgeous images of buildings your ancestors lived around await you!
9. Colleges and Universities
These institutions have images of their graduates, campuses, and local towns to preserve their history. But they also collect and archive images of all sorts of organizations such as unions, churches, fraternal groups, and friendly societies. Check the archives of colleges and universities near your ancestors' locations by going to the library section of the college website. Their collections are always very well organized and cataloged, so you can search from home easily.
10. The Local Genealogical or Historical Society
Local genealogical societies and historical societies are all-volunteer run and often do not have catalogs or even listings of the materials in their collections. I've visited over 30 of these places and every single one surprises me by how much they undersell their collections.
You are guaranteed to find piles of photographs. Most are identified by location and event, and sometimes the people in them. There are treasures just waiting for you to discover them. And be sure to provide a donation if you can to support the organization.
And of Course, Genealogy Websites Have Images Too!
It goes without saying that you can also use images of records from most genealogy websites. Their terms of service allow for personal use of what is hosted on their site. This use typically covers your publishing it on your own website, limited-run book, family video, or social media. But if you decide to take a chronicle you wrote with an image from one of those websites and turn it into a Hollywood film or published book, then contact them for licensing and rights management.
If you know of additional sources of copyright free digital images, please drop it in the comments below.
P.S. In my next post I’ll share best practices on using AI-generated images in your writing. You don’t want to miss it!
Thank you, thank you… this is a great list. Just what I was looking for.
My compliments to the author. This is fabulous!