AP Images

Associated Press Images Collection

An electronic library containing the AP's current photos from their 50 million image print and negative library, as well as charts, graphs, tables, and maps from the AP's graphics portfolio.

Citing Images

When you're writing about an image or multimedia piece in a paper or presentation, you should provide the following pieces of information in the caption and in the bibliography...if you have a list of works of art cited:

  • creator(s)
  • title
  • year(s) of creation
  • materials or format
  • repository (owner or collection, such as a museum or private owner), if applicable
  • if from a digital source: date you found the work online
  • name of the Web site where you found it

If you're just referring to the piece in your paper, use

  • creator
  • title
  • year
  • materials or format
  • repository (collection)

the first time you mention it, and just the creator and title thereafter.

Databases & Collections

The library subscribes to or has built a number of image databases that are excellent sources of images you can download and add to your papers and other projects. You need to keep in mind that some of them have licensing restricts that prohibit the re-publication (including open web publishing, such as on a blog or on social networking sites) of images you download. There are also quite a few digital collections that are free and open on the web. Go to Visual Resources Help to get more information about how best to use ARTstor and suggestions for further online resources.

Information on using ARTstor  

Information on using Open Web

Images: A guide to finding visual resources

Looking for illustrated books

An illustrated book will have at least one of the following terms in the Description field:

ill. (for "illustrated"), maps, pl. (plates), col. (color), plans

Here are two examples:

x, 414 p. illus., diagrs., 23 col. plates. tables. 26 cm.

71 p. illus., 9 pl., 2 col. maps. 25 cm.

Commonly-used subject headings include:

  • pictorial works
  • editorial cartoons
  • caricatures and cartoons
  • exhibitions
  • photography
  • maps

Image help

Need help finding and/or using digital images? Try our visual resources help service:

Woman wearing a white cap, long white dress and white heels.

Image: Demonstration of drying foods in the Syracuse Thrift Kitchen, ca. 1915.

Collection: Human Ecology Historical Photographs, Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.