Government “documents” come in all shapes and sizes and formats. I have never delved much into images available from government agencies, but there are a lot and it is increasingly easy to find collections of them. The current (April 4, 2014 — Volume 20, Number 13) edition of The Scout Report, for example, describes the Public Health Image Library (PHIL) as offering an “organized, universal electronic gateway to the Center for Disease Control’s pictures.” (Note: the site cautions that it “includes subject matter that might be unsuitable for children. Viewing discretion is advised.”)
Even better, the PHIL web site “links” page lists many United States Federal Government “Photo Repositories.” Here is a copy of that list:
- U.S. Government Graphics and Photos
- Department of State Portraits and Stock Photographs
- National Park Service Digital Image Archives
- Fish and Wildlife Service Digital Library System
- Federal Emergency Management Administration Photo Library
- U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library
- Bureau of Land Management Digital Photo Library
- National Aeronautics & Space Administration Ames Imaging Library
- National Aeronautics & Space Administration Video Gallery
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Photo Library
- Department of Agriculture On Line Photography Center
- Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Reading Room
- National Science Foundation Image Library
- Department of Defense Multimedia Library
- U.S. Mint Image Library
- Customs and Border Protection Image Library
Hat tip to The Scout Report.
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Two more good lists of government photo sites can be found from usa.gov US Government Photos and State Photo and Multimedia Galleries.
At the State Agency Databases Project, we also have a page devoted to Historical Media.
RIP State Photo and Multimedia Galleries. Not findable as of 10/1/2015.