Public Domain Images: 10 Free Sources

If you’re looking for high quality images to use online, you’ll want to check out this roundup of public domain images: ten free resources online that you can use for both private and commercial use. Note: you’ll want to check out the fine print for any image you use to make sure you’re following the suggested guidelines. Want even more free images? Try How Do I Find Images To Use On My Website?.

PDPhoto offers a wide variety of free public domain images (commercial use licenses vary by image).

WPClipart offers a fantastic database of clipart for any project you think of – especially useful for educators.

Public Domain Pictures is a site that has thousands of high quality photos, images, and drawings, all available for use online or offline.

The Morgue File is one of the best sources online for public domain images used for private or commercial purposes; this site requires really high quality photo submissions, so standards are reflected in the images that are available.

One unique source of public domain images is  Liam’s Pictures from Old Books, offering 2,600 high-resolution images scanned in from a wide variety of old or out of print books.

Wikimedia Commons is one of the Web’s largest repositories of public domain images and other media content available in a wide variety of languages and formats.

The New York Public Library offers a huge variety of public domain images; this includes illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints, photographs and more.

Users can access hundreds of public photography images with Flickr Commons, a joint project with the Library of Congress.

PublicDomainArchive.com is a repository for high quality public domain images that users are able to access for both private and commercial use.