The Smithsonian Joins Unsplash With 1,000 Free Images

The Smithsonian Institution has joined Unsplash, bringing a curated selection of 1,000 images from its vast archives to the free photo platform. The gallery spans a vast range of subjects and arts, and there are plenty of photos I was absolutely thrilled to see.

The Smithsonian consists of 21 museums, plus libraries, research centers, and a zoo. The Unsplash collection spans art, science, culture, and history, and this launch puts a slice of it in front of the creators, designers, and researchers who use Unsplash daily.

The launch is organized across 12 collections, each drawn from a different corner of the institution: the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and so on. The images are as varied as the collections themselves. There are paintings, drawings, illustrations, and photos. They start with zoo animal images, which are cute on their own. But I was particularly enchanted by the 19th- and early 20th-century photos, which are an incredible testament to the era. You’ll also find portraits of notable figures such as Louis Armstrong, Helen Keller, Amelia Earhart, Billie Holiday, Josephine Baker, and others.

You can browse the entire collection on Unsplash, and I’m attaching a few photos I particularly liked so I can spark your interest in exploring this gallery. And on the links below, you’ll find some other free image, video, and audio sources for your projects, research, or just to satisfy your curiosity.

Enjoy!

• Europeana Photography Collection
• The Met Museum online gallery
• Arab Image Foundation gallery
• Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection
• NASA image gallery
• American Museum of Natural History Research Library
• The Guggenheim Museum online archive (books)
• BBC Archive (sound samples)
• The Smithsonian
• Paris Musées

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