Historic photos
Explore Louisville's past in pictures
Browse our online collection of over 4,800 historic photos of Louisville, from coal mining days to Main Street life.
Photograph reproduction
Digital images of historic photos in the Louisville Historical Museum's collection are available for purchase, unless an image is restricted.
The full Photograph Reproduction Policy and Agreement has four parts:
- This page, which explains the process
- The Photograph Reproduction Costs
- The Photograph Reproduction Terms and Conditions
- The Photograph Order Form
How to order
- Find your use category. Decide whether your use is non-commercial or commercial. (See the categories below.)
- Read the costs and the terms and conditions.
- Fill out the Photograph Order Form. Museum staff can help you complete it.
Use categories
Non-commercial use means use that does not make a profit, such as:
- Personal research or interest
- Use by government, schools, students, teachers, and tax-exempt nonprofit groups (a tax-exempt nonprofit is an organization that does not pay certain taxes because it serves the public)
- Historic preservation projects
- PowerPoint presentations for educational purposes, if no admission fee is charged
A reproduction fee applies to non-commercial use, but use fees do not. (A reproduction fee covers making the copy. A use fee covers how the image is used.)
Commercial use means use in a profit-making venture by a person or business, such as:
- Books and other publications, like magazines and newsletters
- Advertising and promotion
- Internet use
- Display in a business or workplace
Requests to use images on merchandise, such as posters, postcards, programs, or note cards, follow a special contract process.
Costs
A reproduction fee is charged for every order, whether non-commercial or commercial. The reproduction fee for a digital image is $20 per photograph. Images are provided as .jpg scans, emailed to you or saved on a USB drive.
Non-commercial fee
| Use | Fee |
|---|---|
| Non-commercial (government, education, tax-exempt nonprofit) reproduction fee only | $20 per image |
Commercial use fees
Commercial use adds a use fee to the reproduction fee, charged per image:
| Use | Fee |
|---|---|
| Published use, fewer than 5,000 copies | $40 per image |
| Published use, more than 5,000 copies | $60 per image |
| Display in a business or at an event | $35 per image |
| Advertising or promotion | $140 per image |
| Website or internet | $85 per image, per year |
| Film or video production | $145 per image |
| Performance or presentation | $85 per image |
Terms and Conditions
Please read these carefully before you complete the Order Form.
- Reproduction fees are charged for both non-commercial and commercial use.
- All images remain the property of the Louisville Historical Museum and the City of Louisville.
- You must give the Museum a free copy of each publication or production that includes the image, within three months of the publication date. If the image appears on a public website, send the URL to Museum staff.
- Permission is for one-time use only, with no other rights. You must state the specific use on the order form. Any later use, including new editions, paperback editions, or foreign language editions, counts as reuse. Reuse must be requested in writing, and an additional fee may apply.
- All photos must credit the Louisville Historical Museum. For example: "Photo credit: Louisville Historical Museum" or "Photo courtesy of Louisville Historical Museum." For websites and PowerPoint presentations, the credit must appear on the same page as the image. For films and videos, the credit must appear with the other credits at the start or end. For exhibitions, each image must be credited within the exhibition area. Any waiver of this requirement must be approved.
- You may not reproduce, or let others reproduce, the image or any copy of it, including by digital transfer. (A copy here includes a facsimile, meaning an exact reproduction.) You must get written permission from the Museum before using the photos for any other purpose in the future.
- The highest allowed resolution for website display is 150 dpi. (Dpi means dots per inch, a measure of image detail.) Any photo placed on a website must include the Museum's digital watermark. (A watermark is a faint mark that shows who owns the image.)
- The user takes all responsibility for any copyright infringement or invasion of privacy that results from the use. (Copyright infringement means using protected work without permission. Invasion of privacy means violating someone's right to be left alone.)
- Any exceptions to these conditions and fees, and any fee changes for uses not listed here, must be approved by Museum staff. Fees, terms, and conditions may change at any time.
Processing time
Photo orders usually take 10 to 14 days to process.