What it does
National Archives Still Pictures guides researchers to photographs, posters and other graphic records in the U.S. National Archives. Available digital images are free to download; ordering additional reproductions is a separate service.
In the Catalog, select Available to access online to exclude descriptions without digital files. Refine by material type, date, location or file format. When you find a useful series, Search within this Series narrows the search to that group of records.
Open the title, read the description and use the download icon beneath the image viewer. Some photographs have several scans or formats, including TIFF and JPEG. You can search and use the Catalog without an account; accounts add contribution features such as transcription and tags.
Check Use Restrictions before publication. Federal photographs are often public domain, but donated and special-media holdings can retain copyright or other restrictions. NARA encourages credits that include the photo number and does not issue blanket clearance for its holdings.
Strengths
- Search within a series preserves useful historical context.
- Online-availability and format filters help locate usable digital files.
Watch out for
- Many catalogue descriptions still have no digital image.
- Some records have copyright, donor or publicity restrictions.
Best for
- Editors researching American historical photographs
- Publishers tracing a photograph to its archival series
Sources
- Photographs and Graphic Works at the National Archives (Oct 27, 2026)
- Using the National Archives Catalog (Oct 27, 2026)
- Searching the National Archives Catalog for Still Photographs (Oct 27, 2026)
- FAQs | National Archives (Oct 27, 2026)
- Copyright and Permissions | National Archives (Oct 27, 2026)