Rights and Reproductions
Placing an Order | Pricing and Payment | Turnaround Time | Rush Services | Permission to Publish
The Archives of American Art is happy to provide digital duplication; however, please keep in mind that all requests are subject to the following conditions:
- Curatorial approval
- Physical condition of the item
- Donor-imposed restrictions
- Limited staff time and resources
- Smithsonian Policies (see Using Images for Television Broadcasts and Documentaries)
- Copyright laws
Placing an Order
Getting Started
All requests are made through the research collections section of the Archives of American Art website using the Research Request System, Aeon. If you are interested in requesting materials and have not already registered with Aeon, please be sure to do so.
Making a Request
All of our materials will contain one of two ways to submit a research request:
Item records (such as images, oral histories, audio visual materials) and collection records without finding aids (detailed container inventories) |
Collection records with finding aids (detailed container information) |
|---|---|
These records will contain buttons in the "Make a Request" section of the record.
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These records will contain checkboxes at the box and folder level of the container inventory within the “Make a Request” tab.
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If you have already received a digital item from the Archives of American Art and would like to reuse it, please submit a request through the research request system and note that you are interested in reusing the item. In order to protect both you and the Archives, we must have a reproduction agreement in place. All reuse requests are subject to a $25.00 administrative fee.
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Pricing and Payment
Image Reproductions | Audio-Visual Reproductions | Collection Folder and Oral History Transcript Photoduplication
| Image Reproductions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Use | Price | Deliverable |
| Students and Smithsonian Fellows |
Up to 5 free images per year for academic research and non-published papers, including graduate thesis or dissertation. Valid credentials and details of the paper, or project, must be provided. We reserve the right to review all requests of this nature to determine whether or not they fit the criteria. |
A high resolution, publication-quality digital image file, with the exception of the Website/Online/Digital Application files, which are optimized for screen viewing |
| Personal, research, and classroom use Not for reproduction or duplication of any kind. |
$25.00 per image | |
| Printed publications, exhibitions, website/online/digital applications, and film/television (please see Smithsonian policies section) | $75.00 per image | |
| Reuse of a high-resolution image already provided by the Archives of American Art | $25.00 per image | N/A |
| Collection Folder and Oral History Transcript Photoduplication | ||
|---|---|---|
| Use | Price | Deliverable |
Personal, research, and classroom use |
$30.00 per folder |
|
Turnaround Time
All orders are processed in the order they are received. After submitting your order, you will receive a quote within two business days, with your reproduction agreement and invoicing information to follow shortly thereafter.
| Request type | Turnaround |
|---|---|
| Reproductions of images that do not require digitization |
10 business days from the receipt of the completed reproduction agreement and payment |
| Reproductions of images that require digitization | Within 4 weeks of the completed reproduction agreement and payment |
| Reuse of a high-resolution image already provided by the Archives of American Art | Approximately 5 business days, generally less |
| Audio-visual reproductions that do not require new digitization | Approximately 10 business days |
| Audio-visual reproductions that require new digitization | Within 4 weeks of the completed reproduction agreement and payment |
Rush services
Rush services are available for most purposes, but are subject to staff availability and the current status of our queue. Please note that rush services are not available for television broadcasts and film/documentary uses.
To request rush services
Please note in your Aeon request by what date order fulfillment is needed. A staff member will notify you if we are able to complete your order within the desired time period.
Rush fees
Use |
Rush Fee |
|---|---|
Student, personal, and research uses |
$50.00 per image |
All other uses (excluding television broadcasts and film/documentary uses) |
$150.00 per image |
Audio-visual reproductions and photoduplication |
+100% per item |
Permission to Publish
Copyright
Documents, photographs, art work, microfilm, recordings, and transcripts owned by the Archives of American Art may be protected by copyright, trademark, or a related interest not owned by the Archives. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to determine whether any such rights exist, and to obtain necessary permission for use.
Copyright Research Tools
- WATCH File (Writers, Artists, and Their Copyright Holders)
- U.S. Copyright Office Public database
- Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States
- Digital Copyright Slider
- How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work (pdf), from the U.S. Copyright Office.
Smithsonian Policies Regarding Television Broadcasts, Film, and Documentary Uses
Due to an agreement the Smithsonian Institution made with Showtime Networks, Inc. all requests for material to be used in film and television productions must go through the Smithsonian film committee for approval. You will need to submit an application, which can be found online at http://newsdesk.si.edu/filming-application-form. Your application will be automatically sent to the film committee staff. While many questions are structured towards filming in and at Smithsonian facilities, please do try to answer the questions to the best of your ability.
Before we can supply any materials for use in film or television productions, we must receive your approval from the film committee, the signed contract that the Smithsonian Office of Contracting will prepare for you, and payment for the digital files.
Requests subject to film committee approval can take several weeks to a few months to process, so please build that into your production schedule. Note: All requests for status updates should be directed to the Smithsonian Office of Public Affairs at 202-633-2400.
Back to TopQuestions about an order? Please contact our rights and reproductions coordinator at AAARepros@si.edu.