Where We Search
I hand-picked these collections because they are genuinely excellent. They're all maintained by major institutions, they have proper rights information on each item, and they have deep, searchable archives that reward curiosity.
When you use the search tool on the homepage, your query gets sent to all of these places at once—either one at a time, or all in one go with the "Open all" button.
The Collections
Wikimedia Commons
A massive, community-maintained library of freely usable media. Brilliant for historical photos, illustrations, and art from all over the world.
Verify license per fileLibrary of Congress
The research library of the US Congress. Their digital collection is staggering—historical photography, maps, posters, and documents going back centuries.
Rights vary by itemSmithsonian Open Access
Millions of items from across 19 Smithsonian museums. A huge proportion are CC0, meaning truly no-strings-attached free use.
Many CC0 itemsRijksmuseum
The Dutch national museum offers some of the most breathtaking high-resolution scans of Golden Age paintings and historical prints you'll find anywhere.
High-res open itemsEuropeana
A portal that aggregates the digital collections of over 3,000 European cultural institutions. An incredible breadth of history in one place.
Aggregator — rights varyNYPL Digital Collections
The New York Public Library's archive is a personal favourite. Their historical maps, botanical illustrations, and vintage menus are endlessly fascinating.
Many public domain itemsWant to Add More?
If you're running your own version of this site, it's easy to add your favourite local museum or university archive. Just open assets/js/app.js and edit the SOURCES array.