Illustration Sources --- some suggestions

GrannyGrump · 10-29-2014, 04:51 AM

Images from the Internet Archive (www.archive.org) always need a lot of work to get them ready to go out in public. And I am so discouraged with Google Images, Pintarest, and Tumblr, with the (mostly) tiny, low-low-low resolution, heavily compressed images covered with artifacts. How about you?

If you are on the prowl for some "classical" paintings and engravings for illustrations or book covers, I found a couple of great sites for high-resolution PUBLIC DOMAIN images.

The Athenaeum offers thousands of high-res images, completely free of charge. They have a very large collection, and adding more all the time.
http://www.the-athenaeum.org

The Art Renewal Center also offers images. Many hi-res images are freely accessible to everyone. Some hi-res images are only accessible by members with free account. Some other hi-res images are only available to paid members. But there are lots of free ones.
http://www.artrenewal.org/

Good old Wikimedia has some good offerings, but sad to say, too many of them are low-resolution. But, with luck, you might find exactly what you need.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Images

A couple of sources good for a research point, if you are looking for a certain genre or artist, are commercial sites that sell their images -- but just scrolling through their offerings can give you a starting point to go on a hunt for a special image.
www.bridgemanimages.com
http://www.scholarsresource.com

-------

Do you have some great sites to share? Post them here!
Thanks.

AlexBell · 10-30-2014, 02:39 AM

Thanks so much, that's very helpful. I'll check your recommendations for covers for PD ebooks.

Do you by any chance have a similar list for pdfs of the original versions of PD books? Internet Archive is useful, but they seem to be using Project Gutenberg more frequently.

I haven't been able to find a pdf of the original (or nearly original) version of The Trees of Pride by G.K. Chesterton, and I'm sure the PG version is riddled with typos. And all the other versions I've found seem to be based on the PG version.

GrannyGrump · 10-30-2014, 07:06 AM

HMMM. You had to pick a rare book, didn't you?

As a "portal" for finding downloadable ebooks, here is a REALLY great source, they have a very large database with links to many sources, including gutenberg, archive.org,, JStor.org, and many many more.
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu

I did look on there for your Chesterton book, and there is only one link in addition to the PGutenberg, at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. That site needs a free registration to download, or freely accessible to read online. A disclaimer for "Trees of Pride" says "this book not proofed yet" so it might just be another Gutenberg version.
https://www.ccel.org/

[s]Jstor.org[/s] (OK, strikethrough is not working)I MEANT HATHI-TRUST
http://babel.hathitrust.org
has lots of pdfs [but I didn't see any for Trees of Pride], but for many of their pdfs you have to have a "partner log-on" from a university or other facility to download the entire book as a single file. If you don't have a partner log-on, you can only download one page at a time. Ok for magazine articles, but not for a 300-page book!

OOOHHH! I know! Wikisource!!!! I almost forgot about them.
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Trees_of_Pride

It is not annotated as being "in progress", so proof-reading has most likely been completed. Give it a peek.

PeterT · 10-30-2014, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrannyGrump

[s]Jstor.org[/s] (OK, strikethrough is not working)I MEANT HATHI-TRUST

Try the [strike] .... [/strike] BB code

GrannyGrump · 10-30-2014, 11:38 PM

@PeterT -- thank you! All the references I found online said [s]...[/s].
I guess I have to keep learning stuff even if my old head is already full to the brim!

AlexBell · 10-31-2014, 04:43 AM

Thanks, GrannyGrump

I haven't tried the Hathi Trust, but am not attracted by the one page at a time rule.

So far as I can tell the others are either based on the PG version or use American English, or both.

10-29-2014, 04:51 AM	#1
GrannyGrump Obsessively Dedicated... Posts: 3,200 Karma: 34978132 Join Date: May 2011 Location: JAPAN (US expatriate) Device: Sony PRS-T2, ADE on PC	Illustration Sources --- some suggestions Images from the Internet Archive (www.archive.org) always need a lot of work to get them ready to go out in public. And I am so discouraged with Google Images, Pintarest, and Tumblr, with the (mostly) tiny, low-low-low resolution, heavily compressed images covered with artifacts. How about you? If you are on the prowl for some "classical" paintings and engravings for illustrations or book covers, I found a couple of great sites for high-resolution PUBLIC DOMAIN images. The Athenaeum offers thousands of high-res images, completely free of charge. They have a very large collection, and adding more all the time. http://www.the-athenaeum.org The Art Renewal Center also offers images. Many hi-res images are freely accessible to everyone. Some hi-res images are only accessible by members with free account. Some other hi-res images are only available to paid members. But there are lots of free ones. http://www.artrenewal.org/ Good old Wikimedia has some good offerings, but sad to say, too many of them are low-resolution. But, with luck, you might find exactly what you need. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Images A couple of sources good for a research point, if you are looking for a certain genre or artist, are commercial sites that sell their images -- but just scrolling through their offerings can give you a starting point to go on a hunt for a special image. www.bridgemanimages.com http://www.scholarsresource.com ------- Do you have some great sites to share? Post them here! Thanks. Last edited by GrannyGrump; 10-29-2014 at 05:12 AM. Reason: add source

10-30-2014, 02:39 AM	#2
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	Thanks so much, that's very helpful. I'll check your recommendations for covers for PD ebooks. Do you by any chance have a similar list for pdfs of the original versions of PD books? Internet Archive is useful, but they seem to be using Project Gutenberg more frequently. I haven't been able to find a pdf of the original (or nearly original) version of The Trees of Pride by G.K. Chesterton, and I'm sure the PG version is riddled with typos. And all the other versions I've found seem to be based on the PG version. Last edited by AlexBell; 10-30-2014 at 02:48 AM.

10-30-2014, 07:06 AM	#3
GrannyGrump Obsessively Dedicated... Posts: 3,200 Karma: 34978132 Join Date: May 2011 Location: JAPAN (US expatriate) Device: Sony PRS-T2, ADE on PC	HMMM. You had to pick a rare book, didn't you? As a "portal" for finding downloadable ebooks, here is a REALLY great source, they have a very large database with links to many sources, including gutenberg, archive.org,, JStor.org, and many many more. http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu I did look on there for your Chesterton book, and there is only one link in addition to the PGutenberg, at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. That site needs a free registration to download, or freely accessible to read online. A disclaimer for "Trees of Pride" says "this book not proofed yet" so it might just be another Gutenberg version. https://www.ccel.org/ [s]Jstor.org[/s] (OK, strikethrough is not working)I MEANT HATHI-TRUST http://babel.hathitrust.org has lots of pdfs [but I didn't see any for Trees of Pride], but for many of their pdfs you have to have a "partner log-on" from a university or other facility to download the entire book as a single file. If you don't have a partner log-on, you can only download one page at a time. Ok for magazine articles, but not for a 300-page book! OOOHHH! I know! Wikisource!!!! I almost forgot about them. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Trees_of_Pride It is not annotated as being "in progress", so proof-reading has most likely been completed. Give it a peek. Last edited by GrannyGrump; 10-30-2014 at 07:59 AM. Reason: correct an error

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10-30-2014, 11:38 PM	#5
GrannyGrump Obsessively Dedicated... Posts: 3,200 Karma: 34978132 Join Date: May 2011 Location: JAPAN (US expatriate) Device: Sony PRS-T2, ADE on PC	@PeterT -- thank you! All the references I found online said [s]...[/s]. I guess I have to keep learning stuff even if my old head is already full to the brim!

10-31-2014, 04:43 AM	#6
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	Thanks, GrannyGrump I haven't tried the Hathi Trust, but am not attracted by the one page at a time rule. So far as I can tell the others are either based on the PG version or use American English, or both.

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