# Library of Congress

> Library of Congress as searched by Image Asset Server: About 1.1M historic photos, prints, drawings, posters and maps from the Prints & Photographs Division, many public domain. Rights advisory per item; master TIFFs for most.

- Website: https://www.loc.gov/photos/
- Best for: About 1.1M historic photos, prints, drawings, posters and maps from the Prints & Photographs Division, many public domain. Rights advisory per item; master TIFFs for most.
- Categories: History & archives, People & portraits, Cities & streets, Architecture & interiors, Transport, Nature & landscapes, Art
- Pricing: free
- Licence: set per image
- How it is searched: api
- Direct download through Image Asset Server: yes
- Restrict a search to it: `https://image.shep.bot/v1/search?q=...&providers=loc`
- Video listings counted 2026-11-04: 1,133,163, 1,133,163 free
- By category: History & archives 1,133,163

## What it 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

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.

## Example searches

- [Old maps](https://image.shep.bot/search?q=map&category=archive.map&providers=loc)
- [New York streets](https://image.shep.bot/search?q=new+york+street&providers=loc)
- [Lighthouses](https://image.shep.bot/search?q=lighthouse&providers=loc)
- [Travel posters](https://image.shep.bot/search?q=travel+poster&providers=loc)
- [Aviation](https://image.shep.bot/search?q=airplane&providers=loc)

Guides: https://image.shep.bot/guides/free-images-commercial-use.md

## In these collections

- [Free botanical illustrations and plant drawings](https://image.shep.bot/collections/botanical-illustrations.md): 9 of 36
- [Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e), free](https://image.shep.bot/collections/japanese-woodblock-prints.md): 5 of 36
- [Public-domain Impressionist paintings](https://image.shep.bot/collections/public-domain-impressionist-paintings.md): 1 of 36
- [Vintage maps: free antique maps and atlases](https://image.shep.bot/collections/vintage-maps.md): 1 of 6

## Examples

- [Botanic Garden. Greenhouse of Botanical Garden](https://www.loc.gov/item/2019675284/) (`loc:2019675284`, Rights advisory (Library of Congress))
- [Japanese woodblock print - triptych](https://www.loc.gov/item/2022631227/) (`loc:2022631227`, No known restrictions on publication)
- [View of the Port of La Luz and the City of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.](https://www.loc.gov/item/2021670666/) (`loc:2021670666`, Rights not stated)
- [[Map of the old city of Jerusalem](https://www.loc.gov/item/2019701186/) (`loc:2019701186`, No known restrictions on publication)
- [Botanical Gardens, Executive Bldg.](https://www.loc.gov/item/2014694824/) (`loc:2014694824`, No known restrictions on publication)
- [Japanese woodblock print](https://www.loc.gov/item/2022631077/) (`loc:2022631077`, No known restrictions on publication)
- [Botanical Gardens. Sydney](https://www.loc.gov/item/2017657735/) (`loc:2017657735`, No known restrictions on publication)
- [Twelve Months of the Year woodblock print portfolio.] [Print for July, nude woman recumbent in field of flowers basking in rays of sun](https://www.loc.gov/item/2019647536/) (`loc:2019647536`, No known restrictions on publication)
- [Reproduction of a botanical drawing](https://www.loc.gov/item/2008675577/) (`loc:2008675577`, No known restrictions on publication)
- [Twelve Months of the Year woodblock print portfolio.] [Print for November, huge male head with frosty locks arching above plowed fields and bare trees](https://www.loc.gov/item/2019647541/) (`loc:2019647541`, No known restrictions on publication)
- [West facade from Botanical Gardens](https://www.loc.gov/item/2009630843/) (`loc:2009630843`, No known restrictions on publication)
- [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](https://www.loc.gov/item/2019647539/) (`loc:2019647539`, No known restrictions on publication)

All sources: https://image.shep.bot/docs/sources.md

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Source: https://image.shep.bot/sources/loc