Copyright Free and Public Domain Media Sources
There are numerous web sites where you can find copyright free and public domain images. This listing has some of the best sites I've found or helped students find. There are many others out there—do a search for yourself and let me know if you find a real winner!
Remember, materials (maps, photographs, diagrams, digital images, reports, books, etc.) created by employees of the federal government while on the job is in the public domain (NOT protected by copyright)—that's why most of the sites listed below are government sites.
Regardless of the site, always check for copyright and use restrictions. Some of the materials DO have some restrictions and as a teacher you need to be aware of them.
National Resources Conservation Service Photo Gallery
Contains a wide variety of images ranging from wildlife, plants, crops (farm fields), ranchs, people working together to gather data, etc. Most images are available in two resolutions, one suitable for on-screen viewing, the other for print.USDA Image Gallery
Over 2,000 images are available off this site. Many are of food crops and the insects associated with them but there are research and lab photos as well which have people in them.Images of American Political History
About 500 images from 1750-Present concerning American politics.
National Park Service Digital Image Archives
A collection of public domain images of national parks, national monuments and national historic sites administered by the National Park Service. The images are available in a variety of formats and resolutions.USGS Photo and Image Collections List
This list provides a comprehensive access point to all the image collections maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey. This list includes topics in biology, ecosystems, geography, hydrology and some national parks as well as classic earth science (geology).
FEMA Image Library
Contains about 10,000 images from 1989 to the present. Mostly of earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, etc. They have a complete list of disasters that are documented by their images.USGS Photo and Image Collections List
This list provides a comprehensive access point to all the image collections maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey. This list includes topics in biology, ecosystems, geography, hydrology and some national parks as well as classic earth science (geology).
Smithsonian Image Library
A massive collection on a wide variety of subjects including space, history, fireworks, gems, minerals, military history, American presidents, nature, transportation, fireworks, etc. Some, but not all, may be suitable for print materials.Library of Congress American Memories Collections
A massive collection (over 5 million items and counting) of maps, images, documents, drawings, etc. organized into thematic collections on topics ranging from literature to exploration to art to WWI. These collections are well worth exploring. There is something here of interest to everyone!Smithsonian Photography Initiative
An access point to the more than 13 million images held by the 19 museums of the Smithsonian. Here's a list of just a few of those museums: National Museum of Natural History, Anacostia Community Museum, National Air and Space Museum, Freer Gallery of Art, National Museum of the American Indian, Hirshhorn Museum and National museum of African Art.First Gov Portal
This is a long list of image galleries available at government sites. Here's just a few: CDC with images of diseases; historical coin images from the U.S. Mint and images associated with the Great Lakes from EPA.The National Archives
Most of the images available on the National Archives web site are in the public domain. Finding what they have requires a bit of hunting but there are about 20 million items (photos, audio recordings, maps, motion media) accessible off their web site or related web sites. For example, the presidential libraries are administered by the National Archives but have separate web sites.
- Photographs and Graphic Works in the National Archives provides an overview of what's in their collections and links to the appropriate pages or web sites.
- Historical Documents Online: Search Hints for Selected Topics in ARC provides information on how to search the collection for the on-line media
Army Images
A collection of about 2,000 images used on the U.S. Army web site. Shows training, missions, etc.Navy Images
A collection of about 20,000 historical navy pictures that can be searched by ships, people and events. Most images are suitable ONLY for computer use (not sufficient quality for print).Air Force Images
Almost 16,000 photos of aircrafts, operations, people, the Air Force Academy and disasters. Most photos have detailed captions.
Internet Archive Moving Images Collection
About 42,000 items. Lots of historic video like stuff from the 1908 San Francisco Earthquake, the tsunami of 2005, classic TV commercials, etc.
National Resources Conservation Service Photo Gallery
Contains a wide variety of images ranging from wildlife, plants, crops (farm fields), ranchs, people working together to gather data, etc. Most images are available in two resolutions, one suitable for on-screen viewing, the other for print.Plants Image Gallery
Hundreds of plant images that can be located using common or botanical names. Most images are available in two resolutions, one for on-screen viewing, the other for print materials.USDA Image Gallery
Over 2,000 images are available off this site. Many are of food crops and the insects associated with them.USGS Photo and Image Collections List
This list provides a comprehensive access point to all the image collections maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey. This list includes topics in biology, ecosystems, geography, hydrology and some national parks as well as classic earth science (geology).
The National Severe Storms Laboratory Photo Collection
Looking for hurricane, tornado or lightning pictures? Visit this site for an extraordinary collection of severe weather images. Most images are available in two resolutions, one for on-screen applications, the other for print.Beginnings and Endings
A collection of sunrises, sunsets and moonlight. Most images are from the U.S. and Antartica.
Image Archive
Looking for images of the campus or students? Here's one place to start! All the images are for on-screen use, but some images have a high resolution version available for print materials.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Digital Library System
This site provides access to several digital image collections created by employees of the federal governmental and are in the public domain. Images of birds, fish, mammals and reptiles are in the collections. Some images are offered in multiple resolutions and formats (one of which may be suitable for print materials).The National Undersea Research Program Image Collection
Looking for images of fish, coral, divers, beachs or submersibles? This collection contains a good selection of images, most in two resolutions, one for on-screen viewing and another for print materials.The Coral Kingdom
A stunning collection of reef images. Includes photos of reefs, the lifeforms that live in, on or near reefs and of divers investigating reefs.Bureau of Land Management Historical Photographs
A collection of 3,500 images, most available in two resolutions (low and high) taken between 1890 and 1980 on BLM land. The images range from wildlife to ranch life to cattle grazing to panoramic views.National Resources Conservation Service Photo Gallery
Contains a wide variety of images ranging from wildlife, plants, crops (farm fields), ranchs, people working together to gather data, etc. Most images are available in two resolutions, one suitable for on-screen viewing, the other for print.USDA Image Gallery
Over 2,000 images are available off this site. Many are of food crops and the animals and insects associated with them.USGS Photo and Image Collections List
This list provides a comprehensive access point to all the image collections maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey. This list includes topics in biology, ecosystems, geography, hydrology and some national parks as well as classic earth science (geology).
Space
Most people don't realize that NASA is organized into
specialty subunits. For example, if you want to know about unmanned space probes
and telescopes, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is the place to go.
Great Images in NASA
This is a special section of the NASA web site that contains more than 1000 high resolution images. Each image is available for download at a variety of resolutions. All are suitable for print materials.Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Planetary Photojournal
A good place to go to for images from specific planets or unmanned spacecraft. Most images are available in at least two resolutions (one of which is suitable for print materials).
The Depression/Dust Bowl/World War II
Voices from the Dust Bowl
This collection, documenting Dust Bowl migrants living in Farm Security Administration camps in California during 1940-1941, is from the American Memory section of the Library of Congress includes 371 audio titles, 23 graphic images and several dust jackets from reports. Notice that many of the images are available in high resolution tif formats suitable for print materials.FDR Presidential Library and Museum Photos of the Great Depression and the New Deal
There are several hundred photos in the collection. All are low resolution images suitable for on-screen use only. There are a wide variety of subjects in the images including dust storms, portraits, street scenes, work scenes, New Deal projects, etc.USDA Historical Photos
Most date from 1937-1943 and are classified into topics such as: agriculture, business, domestic scenes, education, machinery, transportation, government, people, landscapes, etc.FDR Presidential Library and Museum Photos of World War II
There are several hundred photos in the collection. All are low resolution images suitable for on-screen use only. There are a wide variety of subjects in the images including training, battlefields and the homefront.
American Indians of the Pacific Northwest
This American Memories collection contains 7,700 pages of text and 2,300 photographs (all pre-dating 1920) documenting the lives of native peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Most of the images are available in high resolution tif formats suitable for print materials.Blue Cloud Abbey Native American Photograph Collection
Twenty-eight images scanned from glass plate negatives taken in the late 1800s to early 1900s in the Dakota territory. They depict a variety of people and settings.Bureau of Land Management Historical Photographs
A collection of 3,500 images, most available in two resolutions (low and high) taken between 1890 and 1980 on BLM land. The images range from wildlife to ranch life to cattle grazing to panoramic views.Historic Photos of the Cayuse Tribe
A small collection of photos taken early in the 20th Century on the Umatilla Reservation in Washington. The collection is housed at the Whitman Mission National Park Service web site.
Bureau of Land Management Historical Photographs
A collection of 3,500 images, most available in two resolutions (low and high) taken between 1890 and 1980 on BLM land. The images range from wildlife to ranch life to cattle grazing to panoramic views.
Selected Civil War Photographs
A collection of 1,118 photographs made under the supervision of Mathew Brady during the Civil War. Both Union and Confederate sides are depicted. Most are available in two resolutions (high and low).
Earth Science Photographic Archive
Contains more than 21,600 images taken between 1868 and 1992. The archive includes images of National Parks and Monuments, geology and natural hazards (including earthquake damage and volcanic eruptions). There are extensive images of Mount St. Helens. Many images are available in multiple resolutions.Earth Science World Image Bank
Over 6,000 images provided for education by the American Geological Institute. Be sure to read the Image Use section for details on how you can use the images and how to provide credit.Cascades Volcano Observatory Photo Archive, USGS
Contains several hundred images, some in a variety of resolutions, concerning volcanoes. There is an extensive collection of Mount St. Helens images, before, during and after the eruption.USGS Photo and Image Collections List
This list provides a comprehensive access point to all the image collections maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey. This list includes topics in biology, ecosystems, geography, hydrology and some national parks as well as classic earth science (geology).
The CIA World Factbook
This site is maintained by the CIA, yes the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. It contains information on the politics, economics and geography of every country in the world. Of particular interest to us is that is has a map and flag of every country—all in the public domain so you have maps you can use in a variety of instructional materials. Unfortunately, all the images on the site are suitable for computer use only—NOT print materials.Maps Collections 1500-2004
A good place to start looking for maps. They are categorized: Cities and Towns, Conservation and Environment, Discovery and Exploration, Cultural Landscapes, Military Battles and Campaigns, Transportation and Communication and General Maps. Almost all are in the public domain but check the copyright notice for details.The Color Landform Atlas of the U.S.
Although these maps are NOT in the public domain, the author of the web site may give you permission to use the maps if you describe how you intend to use them (i.e. what your project is about and how it will be used). There are several kinds of maps available for each state.