Visual Arts Library: Image resources
Image resources
Please make sure that you carefully read the terms and conditions on each website before printing or downloading any images to avoid breaching copyright legislation. Always credit the creator of the image and the source. See the Copyright and Images guide for more information.
Image e-resources at LondonMet University
The links in this section connect to the resources via the Library Catalogue. Your University account username and password will be required.
Worldwide coverage of the visual culture of civilizations from prehistoric times to the present. The images are supplied by museums, galleries and private collections. Bridgeman images can be used to represent a wide range of subjects including Medicine, Geography, Sociology and Politics. Every image has been copyright-cleared for educational use by staff and students at LondonMet University. Bridgeman images may be used in WebLearn modules but not in web pages, publications or presentations viewable outside the University.
On-line digital mapping and data extraction facilities using Ordnance Survey data of Great Britain. Requires additional registration. You need to register from within the university. Please be aware that downloads must be on a PC on university Campus. You cannot download from home or elsewhere. LondonMet subscription includes Historic Digimap
The John Johnson Collection of Printed Ephemera
High-resolution facsimiles of printed material from 18th to the early 20th century.Includes advertising and topographical images, early photographic portraits, material related to the book trade, crime and entertainment.Terms and conditions for educational institutions allow personal and internal use.
Klimt02
Contemporary art jewellery. Exhibitions, galleries, publications and image showcases for individual jewellers.
WGSN
World-wide fashion and style trends trends. Including fashion forecasting, materials, company profiles, advertising and marketing.
Digital image advice
JISC Digital Media
An advisory service offering technical guidance for using digital images in education. There is a helpline and blog for academic and support staff. JISC DM has developed an online tutorial which shows how to find free, copyright-cleared images on the Web.
Google Images
Google Image Search
Useful for checking dates, titles and location of artifacts. Check that the information is from a reputable site. Google ‘Advanced Image Search’ offers a ‘usage rights’ option to select images licensed for sharing. Otherwise, copyright permissions should be cleared with the website owner or rights holder.
Art and Design image gateways
VADS
Visual Arts Data Service(UK). The Visual Arts Collections cover many subjects, from architecture to textiles. Keyword searches can be made across collections. There is a ‘lightbox’ to store your selections. Includes the Design Council Archive.
A new feature, The Learning Index, offers a series of downloadable, image-based learning and teaching materials. Open access, free. For personal, educational and research use.
Artcyclopedia
A gateway to fine art images, mostly painting and sculpture, some architecture and decorative art. Searchable by artist, title or art movement with a direct link to the image in the museum website. Sites that allow personal or educational use are highlighted.
JISC Media Plus (formerly JISC MediaHub)
A multimedia platform with digital image, film and sound collections accessible from a single interface. Access to free-at-the-point-of-use content, licensed for educational and research use.
Image sharing websites
Creative Commons
Creative Commons have devised licences to allow creators to share their images under specific conditions. Image searches can be made from the Creative Commons site or CC licensed images may be found with Google’s Advanced Image Search or Flickr.
Xpert Media is a search and attribution service for CC licensed images.
Flickr
A photo-sharing site with more than 6 million public photographs, which include many images licensed under Creative Commons.
MorgueFile
High resolution stock photography. ‘The purpose of this site is to provide free image reference material for use in all creative pursuits’.
Stock.xchng
Quality images ‘offered to the public free of charge’.
Wikimedia Commons
Everyone is allowed to copy, use and modify any Wikimedia Commons image files freely, as long the source and the authors are credited. Users must release their copies or improvements under the same freedom to others.
Luna Commons A free public resource. Cross-search images from museums, galleries and archives. Advanced features (via free registration) include storage of your image selections and dynamic presentation tools. Upload your own images or download Flickr images. For educational use.
Art and Design Museums, Galleries and Archives
Selected sites allowing educational use of some or all of the images. Please check the terms and conditions as they are subject to change.
AICT
(Art Images for College Teaching) intended to disseminate images of art and architectural works in the public domain on a free-access, free-use basis to the educational community. The images have been photographed on location by the author, who consents to their use in any application that is both educational and non-commercial in nature.
Ad*Access
A project to make a selection of historical advertisements available for study and research. The advertisements on this web site have been made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. For these purposes under ‘Fair Use’ you may reproduce (print, make photocopies, or download) materials from this web site without prior permission, on the condition that you provide proper attribution of the source in all copies.
Architonic
A database of architectural and interior design products and materials. Searchable by product and designer. Print-out of illustrated product sheets for educational use is permitted.
Art and Architecture (Courtauld Institute)
Fine art images. Searchable by creator, location or subject. Most of the images are taken from negatives from the Courtauld Institute, the Courtauld Gallery of Art, the Conway and Witt Libraries. Inexpensive print-ordering service.
Art Historical Sites
Global coverage of architecture and art historical sites from antiquity to the present. Index listing by location, also lists by black architects and by women architects. Free to use for personal or educational purposes but credit and inform the photographer. Copyright Mary Ann Sullivan.
Artists’ Book Collection at Otis College of Art and Design
A searchable resource featuring hundreds of works of art in book form, including students’ books from Otis College. The covers and a representative section of the contents have been photographed. Available for educational use.
Cadyou
Free resource for digital designers. Download Creative Commons Licensed 2D and 3D models, CAD blocks and textures.
Explore Art (John Paul Getty Museum)
Artworks from the J. Paul Getty Museum, covers architecture, fine and decorative arts. Searchable by artist, subject or medium. See ‘Terms of Use’ for conditions governing personal and educational use.’
Great Buildings
Architecture worldwide from antiquity to present. Includes 3D models and architectural drawings. Searchable by architect, building or location. Licensing is via ‘Artifice Images’, written permission is required for educational use. See ‘licensing photos and content’.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art High Wycombe Furniture Archive
Part of The Research Centre for Furniture at Buckinghamshire New University. Contains photographic and print material relating to UK furniture companies in the High Wycombe region, primarily from Ercol Limited and E. Gomme Limited (G-Plan). Educational use is permitted.
The Collection contains more than two million works of fine and decorative art. Global coverage from ancient to modern times. Some images are made available for limited non-commercial, educational, and personal use only, or for fair use as defined in the United States copyright laws. Full citations must be given. Read the Terms and Conditions carefully.
National Gallery (London) Online
The National Gallery’s permanent collection of western European paintings, c.1250 to 1900. Searchable by artist, time period subject or theme. All images and text are copyright. See the copyright information accessible from the ‘home’ page.
National Gallery of Art Washington Open Access Images. Lecture-quality digital images of works of art believed to be in the public domain.Tick the Open Access Images box in the NGA advanced search. Free of charge for commercial or non-commercial use with no requirement to contact the Gallery for authorisation Credit the image Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art Washington.
New York Public Library Digital Gallery
Access to over 700,000 images digitized from Library’s vast collections, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs. NYPL no-known copyright images are available at the Commons on Flickr.
Riba Pix
Images from the collections of the British Architectural Library at the Royal Institute of British Architects. Covers world architecture of all periods and related subjects such as interior design, landscape, topography, planning, construction and the decorative arts. All images on this site are the copyright of the RIBA, but low resolution copies may be downloaded free of charge for personal use or teaching purposes.
Smithsonian Images
A wide range of images, including air and space, natural history, technology and transportation. Searchable and browsable. See the copyright page for conditions governing personal and educational use.
Tribu-Design
An educative non-commercial database. Covers design classics, furniture, lighting and product design. Searchable by designer, manufacturer, or time-line. Contact site owners for terms and conditions of use.
V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum)
Includes ceramics, fashion, furniture, glass, metalwork, paintings, photographs, prints, sculpture, and textiles. Fully searchable. A dedicated educational and research source, see terms and conditions of use. News! A new Beta version of ‘Search the Collections’ is available with many more images.
Web Gallery of Art
A free art history educational resource. European painting and sculpture from 12th to mid 19th centuries. Searchable or browsable, dual-page view. See the information page for copyright conditions.
WorldImages
A wide range of subjects, art and design, culture, history, music, nature and science. Searchable and browsable. WorldImages is accessible anywhere and its images can be freely used for non-profit, educational purposes. The copyright holder must be credited.
Yale Digital Commons
Works in the Yale museums and libraries collections. Those images that are in the public domain are freely accessible “No licence will be required for the transmission of the images and no limitations will be imposed on their use. The result is that scholars, artists, students, and citizens the world over will be able to use these collections for study, publication, teaching and inspiration”.