What Library of Congress is
The Library of Congress holds millions of digitised photographs, prints, drawings, maps and posters: Civil War and Depression-era photography, historic American buildings, travel posters, early aviation and antique maps.
Best for
Historical photographs, old maps, posters and architectural drawings, especially American history.
Licence and what it means for you
Each item carries the library's rights statement. Items marked 'No known restrictions on publication' are shown as free to use (credit the collection as a courtesy). 'Rights status not evaluated' and 'Publication may be restricted' are shown as 'check the terms'.
How Image Asset Server searches it
Through the keyless loc.gov JSON API (the photos, prints and drawings format), limited to items whose images are online. Thumbnails and larger copies come straight from tile.loc.gov.
![“Twelve Months of the Year woodblock print portfolio.] [Print for July, nude woman recumbent in field of flowers basking in rays of sun” on Library of Congress](https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/ppmsca/64300/64376r.jpg)
![“Twelve Months of the Year woodblock print portfolio.] [Print for November, huge male head with frosty locks arching above plowed fields and bare trees” on Library of Congress](https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/ppmsca/64300/64381r.jpg)
![“Twelve Months of the Year woodblock print portfolio.] [Print for October, woman with bowed head and long tresses standing over a gravesite with leaves falling around her” on Library of Congress](https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/ppmsca/64300/64379r.jpg)