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Public Domain Art Resources
# What is public domain art?
Creative works not protected by copyright are considered "public domain." They exist in what we call the commons, the space that belongs to everyone, they're free to enjoy, share, and build on without restriction. The challenge is knowing what is and isn't in the public domain. Every country has different laws and copyrights with their own stipulations, restrictions, and timelines. In other words: Public domain belongs to everyone, but not everyone equally or all at once—and that's why your source for public domain art is more important than ever.
## How do I determine what's in the public domain?
Anything made before 1870 is probably good to go. Works made prior to 1870 pre-date modern copyright laws that extend rights beyond the average lifespan of its creators, their estates, and corporate owners.
This is what the Pubic Domain Review suggests regarding copyright:
* a term which lasts for 70 years after the creator’s death (relevant in UK, Canada, most of the EU, and South America);
* a term which lasts for 50 years after the creator’s death (relevant to most of Africa and Asia);
* a term which lasts for 95 years after the publication of a film or book, including any artworks featured within (relevant solely to the United States).
The above guidelines are pretty simple, but the reality is more complicated, especially in the US where corporations have the power to buy, sell, and own a work for however long they "maintain" ownership. If you want a robust rundown on copyright law, digital copies, and flowcharts (who doesn't love a flow chart?), check out the Public Domain Review for more.
## Creative Commons v. Pubic Domain?
It's surprisingly difficult getting your work into the public domain. The reason is a little counter-intuitive. In most countries, the moment you make something you automatically have rights to its ownership—and yet, those same authorities do not easily certify your surrender of them.
That's where Creative Commons comes in. It's an international non-profit with a standardized list of licenses you can use in place of Public Domain. Here's what to look out for when browsing work in the Public Domain and Creative Commons.
#### Creative Commons Licenses
The following licenses are arranged from most to least permissive. You can find current language and deeds on the Creative Commons website. I highly recommend using their exact language as a creator.
****CC0****
This is the stand-in for Public Domain.
Credit does not have to be given.
No limits on usage.
****CC BY****
Credit must be given to the creator.
****CC BY-SA****
Credit must be given to the creator.
Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.
****CC BY-ND****
Credit must be given to the creator.
No derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted.
****CC BY-NC****
Credit must be given to the creator.
Only non-commercial use of the work is permitted.*
****CC BY-NC-SA****
Credit must be given to the creator.
Only non-commercial use of the work is permitted.
Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.
****CC BY-NC-ND****
Credit must be given to the creator.
Only non-commercial use of the work is permitted.
No derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted.
*Commercial use means anything used for commercial advantage or monetary compensation.
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# Where to find Public Domain Art.
There are lots of places you can find art in the public domain and creative commons. You can find a particularly long list on the Public Domain Review's sources. If you want the most robust selection—just go there.
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# Aggregators
### Internet Archive
Great for unexpected and contemporary sources. The real strength of the Internet Archive is its library of music, movies, and non-art files. **Score: 10/10**
### E-Manuscripta
If you want public domain text, letters, sheet music, or maps—this might be the best resource. It's also well documented and organized. **Score 10/10**
### Paris Musées
The collection here is vast and covers the entire world. It's not just French. It's also well-marked and organized with download links. Highly recommend. **Score: 10/10**
### Wikimedia Commons
Everyone knows Wikimedia. The strength of this aggregator is that it's easy to use. Rights are (generally) easy to look up and understand. **Score: 9/10**
### Curationist
This is a new aggregator with a pretty solid interface. I like all the metadata it looks for and tries to collate. That saves time, headaches, and uncertainty. **Score 9/10**
### Flickr: The Commons
Flikr is great for archival photographs. It's got gems. However, it loses some points for its groups-based organization and lack of easy to look-up licenses. **Score: 5/10**
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# Providers
### British Library
Massive catalog. Easy to navigate. Quick and convenient to look up. It's famous for a reason and a great place to look for public domain maps, illustrations, and artwork. Check out its digital collections for public domain resources.
### New York Public Library
Just like its British cousin, the New York Public Library is vast. The best place to look is in the section titled research. The online collections there have everything from maps to archival photography.
### National Gallery of Art
Over 60,000 images available for download with lots of filters, easy to reference licenses, and open sourced data backed up on Github. This is a great resource for old paintings, prints, and photography.
### Rijks Museum
It feels like everyone working in indie rpgs already knows about the Rijks Museum. The best part of Rijks are its images which are fully scanned and often massive—perfect for print projects. Look for the CC0 license.
### The Met
New York's premier museum has a solid online collection. Here's an underused hack—use the photographs of their sculptures and other artifacts and adapt them for your art. Look for the CC0 license.
### The Art Institute of Chicago
Thousands of artworks that you can filter for public domain. The Art Institute of Chicago is particularly rich with public domain paintings, portraits, and landscapes from early 20th century artists.
### Cleveland Museum of Art
Why is Cleveland's collection so good? I'll never know. It's huge, diverse, and it's easy to navigate. Just click on open source and you'll find paintings, sculpture, and jewelry from all over the world.
### Science History Institute
You'd think the Science History Institute's digital collection would be solely medical-related, but that's where you're wrong. Search for copyright free images and you'll find postage stamps, periodicals, and even advertisements.
### Old Book Illustrations
If you're in the market for woodcuts, lino prints, and sketches from the old books, particularly Victorian-era books, this website is a great place to start. It's relatively easy to search, but it's easy to get lost. Use your bookmark function.
### Prelinger Archives
If you're looking for films, commercials, and other early 20th century to contemporary video assets, the Prelinger Archives are the best. I particularly love the old b-roll and b-movie footage.
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# Last notes on public domain art.
You can find public domain art everywhere, but confirming its accuracy will always be a challenge. Even when the work _is_ in the public domain, companies will still try to claim ownership (Looking at you Getty). Always do the following:
* Confirm that the image you're using is public domain or creative commons.
* Look for a double confirmation through aggregators like Wikimedia.
* Be prepared to change your work if you get a copyright strike.
Thanks for reading this far. If you have a source online that you like, drop me a line on social or share it in the comments below. I used to have a version of this list on my old website, and I'm finally adding it again.
See you on the next one, until then, I'll keep exploring.
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Explorers Design_is a production of Clayton Notestine. If you liked this article, please consider liking, sharing, and subscribing._
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