About the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog

The Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) contains catalog records and digital images representing a rich cross-section of still pictures held by the Prints & Photographs Division and other units of the Library. The Library of Congress offers broad public access to these materials as a contribution to education and scholarship.

Search the P&P Online Catalog

See below for further information on:

• the scope of the catalog
• investigating rights for materials found in the catalog
• ordering copies of images you find through the catalog
• additional Prints & Photographs Division resources to consult when desired images are not found in the catalog.

Scope of the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog

• Includes descriptions of selected single images cataloged since 1984 and groups of images cataloged since 1945.
• Overlaps with some other Library of Congress search systems:
  • Some of the records in the P&P Online Catalog are also found in the LC Online Catalog, but the P&P Online Catalog includes additional records, direct display of digital images, and links to rights, ordering, and background information about the collections represented in the catalog.
  • The P&P Online Catalog includes all the Prints & Photographs Division items represented in American Memory as well as additional materials not included in American Memory.
• Includes digitized images with many, but not all of the catalog records:
  • In many cases, only "thumbnail" images ("gif" images) will display to those searching outside the Library of Congress because of potential rights considerations, while onsite searchers have access to larger "jpeg" and "tiff" images, as well.
  • There are no digital images for some collections, such as the Look Magazine Photograph Collection.
  • In some collections, only a portion of the images have so far been digitized.
• Functions primarily as the local online public access catalog for the Prints & Photographs Reading Room. Some instructions and features may not be geared to those accessing the catalog outside of the Library of Congress via Internet.

Investigating Rights for Materials Found in the Catalog

The nature of historical archival collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Whenever possible, the Library provides information about copyright owners and other restrictions in the catalog records, other texts that accompany collections, or in "restrictions statements" available by request. The Library provides such information as a service to aid patrons in determining the appropriate use of an item, but that determination ultimately rests with the patron. The Library of Congress is eager to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified so that appropriate information may be provided in the future.

For further information, see the document, Copyright and Other Restrictions Which Apply to Publication and Other Forms of Distribution of Images: Sources for Information.

Obtaining Copies of Images

Digitized images appearing in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog can be downloaded (see information above regarding image rights). Some images will display only small, thumbnail images when searching outside the Library of Congress; larger jpeg and tiff images of such images will display when searching inside the Library of Congress and can be downloaded at public reading room workstations. Higher resolution images may require use of a zip disk (100 or 250 MB) formatted for use in IBM compatible machines or a USB flash drive, as the size of many images exceeds the space available on diskettes. It is not possible to download to CDs at the public workstations.

Copies of most images listed in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog can be purchased from the Library of Congress Photoduplication Service. Other vendors also sell quality copies of selected images [view information about reproduction options].

When placing an order with the Library's Photoduplication Service:

• If the "Reproduction #" field in a catalog record is filled in, note down the letters and numbers that appear there and the information regarding what the image will be reproduced from that is mentioned in parentheses (e.g. "b&w film copy neg.").
• If the "Reproduction #" field only contains dashes, take down the letters and numbers that appear in the Call # field. (The original will have to be photographed. The item may need to be retrieved before you place your order.)
• Include a brief caption for the item.
• Orders are accepted by email (photoduplication@loc.gov), mail and fax. Orders need not be submitted on Photoduplication Service order forms, but such order forms are available in PDF format on the Library of Congress web site. The Photoduplication Service estimates that it takes 3-6 weeks to complete an order.

Prints & Photographs Division Resources to Consult When Desired Images are Not Found in the Catalog

The Division has prepared guides, reference aids, and finding aids for particular collections and popularly requested topics, which often list images not yet accessible through the online catalog. Specialized reference aids exist, for instance, on "Women's Activities During the Civil War," "Timber Frame Houses," and on the National Child Labor Committee photographs by Lewis Hine. Some of these documents are accompanied by digitized images.

For further information about how to search for Prints & Photographs Division holdings not represented in the online catalog or in the lists of selected images, consult the "Information for Researchers" document on the Prints & Photographs Reading Room home page or contact: Prints & Photographs Reading Room, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20540-4730 (telephone: 202-707-6394).