The Society will be closed Monday, December 23 through Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
Please know that photo orders are not being processed during this time.
The American Antiquarian Society offers a variety of reproduction services as an aid to scholarly and general research, in accordance with its mission to provide access to our outstanding collections of rare printed books, newspapers, manuscripts and graphics while preserving them for the use of future generations.
We seek to provide the highest quality archival digital images to our customers. This means that every aspect of the original item (colors and details but also existing stains, folds, foxing, and tears) will be present in digital images. We will not manipulate items in a way that could cause damage nor will we provide conservation treatments in order to complete a digital photography request.
Freely Available Images Online
The Society makes available, without charge, all of our existing medium resolution (up to 72 dpi) digital images that are in the public domain to be used for any purpose under the terms of a Creative Commons License.
Always begin your search by exploring our General Catalog and this website, which includes our digital projects, exhibitions and illustrated inventories. For many items that are already digitized, you will find links in the General Catalog to our digital image archive, GIGI. You may also browse and do limited searching within the GIGI system.
The video tutorial finding digital surrogates provides a quick overview of how to find materials in the American Antiquarian Society catalog that have digital surrogates.
You may freely download and use any of these images for your own research, for teaching and presentations, or for non-commercial projects. There is no fee for this service. No permission is required* though attribution is required. The Society's preferred credit line for all uses is:
"Courtesy, American Antiquarian Society"
Ordering Images
Step 1
Always begin your search by checking for the availability of freely available images.
We strongly recommend that high-resolution images be used in print publications (See #3 below).
For the media
A selection of high-resolution press photos are available. To request additional press photos, contact Julieane Frost, Communications Specialist, at jfrost [at] mwa.org (jfrost[at]mwa[dot]org).
Step 2
If you cannot find the material you need, please contact reproductions [at] mwa.org (reproductions[at]mwa[dot]org) for assistance. We are happy to help with quick requests, but those requiring extensive research on the part of the AAS may incur a research fee, which must be authorized in advance.
Step 3
To request a high-resolution image (maximum 300 dpi tiff files provided)**, please complete an Image Request Form indicating your intended use of the image(s).
The image request form must be completed in full and can be submitted electronically, by email, or postal mail. For all high-resolution images, the Society charges a processing fee (per order) and, when new photography/scanning is required, a shot fee (per image). The processing fee is higher when the intended use of the image(s) is for a commercial enterprise (textbook, trade book, popular magazine, advertising, merchandise, etc.). All fees will be quoted and must be paid in advance.
| Typical Processing Fees, effective though Dec. 20, 2024 | Typical Shot Fees |
|---|---|
| $15 for a pdf | $1.00 per image |
| $25 for a non-commercial order from existing photography | $5.00 per image |
| $40 for a non-commercial order requiring new photography | $5.00 per image |
| $125 for a commercial order from existing photography | $10.00 per image |
| $150 for a commercial order requiring new photography | $10.00 per image |
Fee Structure, effective January 1, 2025
| Type of Photography | Processing Fee | Shot Fee | Restrictions |
| $25 | $1/image | 100 shot limit | |
| Non-commercial from existing image | $40 | $10/image | |
| Non-commercial requiring new photography | $60 | $10/image | |
| Commercial from existing image | $165 | $20/image | |
| Commercial requiring new photography | $190 | $20/image |
- A RUSH order will double all normal fees.
- A research fee may be applied if additional time is required by AAS staff to fulfill the request.
- We are unable to make pdfs of items larger than 11x17, so we require that you order a high-res scan on large format items.
- During our busiest months, May through September, processing times may be up to eight to ten weeks. During this time, we also reserve the right to limit large orders. Thank you for your understanding.
Helpful Hint: Whenever possible please include the “Catalog Record” number found in each General Catalog entry; this will expedite your request. Here, circled in yellow, is the Catalog Record number as it appears in a sample general catalog record:
Quoting from collections
Permission is not needed to quote from out-of copyright printed materials in the Society's collections although acknowledgement of the use of such materials is appreciated.
Requesting Permission to Quote from Manuscripts
Please contact us and let us know how we may help you!
American Antiquarian Society
185 Salisbury Street
Worcester, MA 01609
Email: reproductions [at] mwa.org (reproductions[at]mwa[dot]org)
Telephone: (508) 755-5221 x171
*If you have concerns or questions about copyright, please review the very helpful summary compiled by the Cornell University Copyright Information Center.
**The camera is a Canon 5D Mark IV and the lens for photography is a Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art Lens.