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Visual Materials From The National Association For The Advancement of Colored People Records

Rights and Restrictions Information

Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., 20540-4730


This collection includes original and copy photographs, artwork, and prints created prior to 1969. They were gathered from many sources including wire services, commercial photo studios, publicity photo distributors, and amateur photographers, and may be restricted by copyright. Some photos are not identified with the name of their creator or their source. Privacy and publicity rights may apply.

Access: Permitted; subject to P&P policy on serving originals. This policy requires the use of microfilm in place of the originals.

Reproduction (photocopying, hand-held camera copying, photoduplication and other forms of copying allowed by "fair use"): Permitted; subject to P&P policy on copying.

Publication and other forms of distribution: May be restricted.

  1. Wire service, professional photographer, studio, publicity, or other photographs and original artwork from commercial sources dating 1923 and after may be restricted by copyright and patrons are advised to check for copyright prior to publication or other forms of distribution. The commercial status of these images can be recognized by the appearance of the name of a photographer or studio on the image, e.g., Ernest Withers, Morgan & Marvin Smith, Addison Scurlock. More information on specific wire services is available on the Rights and Restrictions Information page, under AP/Wide World, Black Star, United Press International, ACME, and other company names. As the Division learns pertinent rights information for a given individual or organization, that information is added through a listing on the Rights and Restrictions Information page.

  2. Images by unidentified creators and images from unidentified sources are problematic because of the lack of information. Patrons who wish to show that a reasonable effort was made to determine copyright status should request a copyright search and retain any reply for their records.

  3. U.S. Government-issued photographs are considered to be in the public domain.

  4. Original artwork and prints may be restricted by copyright. For published works dating 1923 and after or unpublished works created but not registered for copyright before January 1, 1978, rights may be held by the creator, creator's heirs, or the publisher. Therefore, patrons are advised to check for copyright prior to publication or other forms of distribution.

  5. Privacy and publicity rights may also apply.

Credit Line: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Visual Materials from the NAACP Records [reproduction number, e.g. LC-USZ62-123456]

For more information, please read: Copyright and Other Restrictions: ... Sources for Information


Prepared by: Prints and Photographs Division staff. Last revised: 3/28/00.


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  October 22, 2010
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