Additional Resources and Finding Aids
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Motion Picture Stills, 1903- From UCLA Library Digital Collections, American motion picture film stills from Library Special Collections. Includes black and white photographs and some color prints and slides; also includes publicity stills from various studios. The bulk of the collection dates from the early 1920s on.
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Margaret Herrick Library Digital Collections From the Academy, this series of collections includes personal papers, the Academy Awards collection, photographs, periodicals, sheet music, and more.
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Academy Library Photograph Archive "The library’s 10 million+ photographs include reference stills and stills of film scenes, individuals and advertising; candid and informal photos and behind-the-scenes production shots; research photos; and images of premieres, studios, theaters, equipment, residences and Hollywood landmarks."
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Academy Library (Margaret Herrick Library) Lobby Card Collection "A selection of rare and unique lobby cards in the library's Core Collection Production Files. The lobby cards in the collection date back to 1913."
Selected Digital Image Sites
Researchers and designers often require a broad range of historical visual images. Below are some resources that serve as good starting places, though many of them are more focused on fine arts (rather than film stills and documentation). Note that some resources require off-campus access privileges.
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Image ResearchGuide on image research from the UCLA Library.
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FilmGrabA collection of stills and screenshots from many different motion pictures.
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AP Newsroom This link opens in a new window
AP Newsroom (formerly AP Images) contains millions of photographs dating from 1826 to present day from the Associated Press. Includes thousands of graphics, audio files dating from the 1920s, and news stories and headlines from 1997 to the present.
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Library of Congress Digital CollectionsFrom the Library of Congress, including many photographs and other visual elements documenting American history.
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ARTstor This link opens in a new windowHigh-resolution Images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and social sciences. Includes a suite of software tools to view, present, and manage images for research and teaching purposes. Images are contributed by museums, photographers, libraries, scholars, photo archives, artists, and estates, from a variety of sources including the Hartill Archive of Architecture and Allied Arts. UC campuses contribute additional images including: the Archivision Library, Saskia Art & Architecture images, the Visual Resources Collections from UCB, UCSB, UCI, UCLA, UCR, and the UCSC Library Instructional Collection. Now hosted on the JSTOR platform.
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Calisphere This link opens in a new windowOver one million photographs, documents, letters, artwork, diaries, oral histories, films, advertisements, musical recordings, and more from the collections digitized and contributed by all ten campuses of the University of California and other important libraries, archives, and museums throughout the state.
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Classic Mexican CinemaOnline collection of cinema periodicals, lobby cards, and flyers from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, including Cinema Reporter and Cine Mundial.
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Empire Online This link opens in a new windowPrimary source manuscripts and secondary essays relevant to Empire Studies. The sections cover Cultural Contacts, 1492-1969; Empire Writing and the Literature of Empire; The Visible Empire; Religion & Empire; and Race, Class & Colonialism, 1783-1969.
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Flickr CommonsA free public collection of photographs from major photography archives. Contributors include the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and more.
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Getty ImagesIncludes stock photography, editorial photos, and some moving images.
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Google ImagesSearches images available via Google, of mixed size and quality.
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J. Willis Sayre Photograph Collection (U. Washington)Contains over 24,000 photographs of theatrical and vaudeville performers, musicians, and entertainers who played in Seattle between about 1900 and 1955. Includes images from motion pictures.
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LIFE Photo ArchiveGrowing historical photo archive for LIFE magazine, hosted by Google.
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Los Angeles Public Library Photo CollectionMore than 60,000 images from the Los Angeles Central Library History Department's Photo Collection are available online. Images have been selected to represent the history of the growth of Los Angeles and California, Southern California life, and frequently requested subjects such as major events.
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Motion Picture Stills, 1903-From UCLA Library Digital Collections, American motion picture film stills from Library Special Collections. Includes black and white photographs and some color prints and slides; also includes publicity stills from various studios. The bulk of the collection dates from the early 1920s on.
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Museum of the Moving ImageThe Museum's collection catalog contains images from a large range of ephemera, including action figures, magazine covers, camera technology, and more.
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NYPL Digital GalleryThousands of digital images from the New York Public Library's collections.
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Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new windowLinks images to related entries, covering major artists, periods, and styles.
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Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas This link opens in a new windowDigital library of reference entries, images, and other introductory materials covering arts and visual culture, film, fashion, gender and ethnicity, youth culture, and more.
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Film Art GalleryIncludes images from the Saul Bass Archive and other sources.
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Reel Poster GalleryOnline gallery of vintage movie posters. The UCLA Library also owns a number of movie poster reproduction books, and original posters housed in Library Special Collections.
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Silent Film Still ArchiveScans of programs listing films (including short comedies, newsreels, and cartoons) that were showing at particular theaters during the silent and early sound film era.
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Still Images: Finding and Using Digital MediaUK site with advice on finding images online, getting permissions, and other tips.
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UCLA Library Digital Collections This link opens in a new windowRare and unique digital materials developed by the UCLA Library to support education, research, service, and creative expression, including the AIDS Poster Collection, the Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive and more.
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VADSThousands of visual arts images, including fashion, design, prints, and sculpture.
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Vintage Ad BrowserThousands of freely available historical print ads, including movies and television.
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World Digital LibraryIncludes primary materials from world cultures, including manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs, architectural drawings, and more.
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WorldImagesContains thousands of images on a range of global topics. This free site also includes some coverage of clothing and dress.