Getty Shares Black History Archive with 30,000 Free Images
Get access to a century of visual history from the African and Black diaspora in the US and UK, with Getty Image's newest collection
Though photography has been a popular medium for art in the West since the nineteenth century, because of structural inequality and exclusion in the art industry, Black stories have often been hidden, misrepresented, or left unshared. But now, these stories are being made available and accessible to the creators and storytellers of the future.
Getty Images has made a commitment to build new educational tools that open up the industry and highlight untold stories. Their new collection, Black History and Culture, launched in July 2022.
Discover how the collection works, and how to download the images for free, below.
About the collection
In the video above, you can hear directly from curators and consultants as they reflect on the impact this archive will have, and their approach to bringing these images together.
Archivists and researchers at Getty teamed up with historians and educators to collect and curate these images. Among this team were Dr. Deborah Willis (NYU Tisch School of the Arts), Dr. Tukufu Zuberi (University of Pennsylvania), Jina DuVernay (Clark Atlanta University), and Dr. Mark Sealy MBE and Renée Mussai (from non-profit photographic arts agency Autograph).
The collection itself unites photographs from the 1800s to the 2020s, alongside portraiture and illustrations such as advertisements. From glamorous parties set to a soundtrack of jazz to civil rights protests, the collection offers a broad, powerful view of Black history.
There are two ways to use the collection: the view-only preview gallery, and full access.
Viewing the images
The images are arranged by year at the top of the navigation, with each decade containing hundreds or even thousands of photographs and illustrations. Alternatively, you can browse using the tags on the left side of the navigation, with sections such as Civil Rights, Fashion, LGBTQ+, Science & Technology, and more.
In the viewing gallery, you’ll see that all imagery has the Getty Images watermark. In order to remove this, you can apply for full access.
Downloading the images for educational and non-commercial use
The collection is explicitly provided for educational purposes, and the donated images which you download cannot be used for ads, monetized content, or other commercial uses.
So, what uses might these images be suited to? Think local educational events at libraries and galleries, for example. Or, if you’re an artist or creative, it’s an amazing resource to find inspiration, research, and references for your original work.
Follow the link below and then scroll to the Preview the gallery button to start viewing the images.
To get full access, first visit the preview gallery, then click the Request Access button. The review process can take up to two weeks.
Discover more creative resources to inspire your projects
1. Discover more free creative resources on our blog.
2. The Smithsonian Museum has also shared an amazing archive of over 2,000 free images to celebrate Black History.
3. Get tips for your own practice with these 20 free photography tutorials.
4. Learn how to capture modern portraits with this course by Phil Sharp.
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