Reproduction of Photographs

Photographic reproduction of items in SIA is permitted in most cases. Options include digital scans and prints made by SIA staff; prints, transparencies, and digital scans made by Smithsonian Photographic Services (SPS); photographs taken or scanned by researchers at SIA with personal cameras; and xerographic copies made by SIA staff, or by researchers using SIA machines on the premises.

Photography

A.   SIA Photographic Reproduction Fee

Users of the archives may order copies of images from SIA holdings in digital (TIFF or JPEG) or inkjet printout form. Under normal operations, these services cover existing digital images, photographs, and slides. Requests must be submitted in writing and include the name of the requestor, mailing address, phone or email, and check/money order made payable to “Smithsonian Institution.” No rush services are available from SI Archives. Orders will be filled within 2-4 weeks. Be sure to allow sufficient time for the order to be processed. Contact osiaref@si.edu for further information.

Existing policies for 1) authorization for access, reproduction, and publication; and 2) digitization standards for images remain in place and will be enforced as part of this service.

The following options are available:

SI Archives – Digital Images and Prints

Deliverable	Dimensions	Delivery Method	Price/Note
Glossy paper	8x10, 13x19	Mail	$50/ea
Archival matte	8x10, 13x19	Mail	$50/ea
TIFF	Best quality (min 400 dpi)	CD, FTP	$50/ea
JPEG	Best quality	CD, FTP, Email	$50/ea
JPEG of extant digital image	Best available quality	CD, FTP, Email	$7.50/ea

* SI staff may obtain TIFFs or JPEGs at no cost. SI staff will be charged cost for print outs.

Please note that SIA does not accept credit cards. Payment must be received by cash, check or money order.

Copy/print requests for SIA-held negatives (polyester and glass-plate) will be handled by Smithsonian Photographic Services (SPS). Their published service/fee schedule is below.

B.   SPS Photographic Production Fee

Prints from numbered SIA file negatives can be purchased directly from SPS according to established production fees. Researchers should consult with a Reference Archivist to obtain negative numbers. Be sure to allow sufficient time for the order to be processed.

If no numbered copy negative is on file for an image, researchers may order a photographic copy made from prints from SIA (see above).

Smithsonian Photographic Services – Negatives, Glass plate Negatives, or Manuscripts

Service	Deliverable	Delivery	Note	Price
RUSH (5 day)	TIFF, 600 dpi	CD, Email	48 hour rush available, prices doubled.	$200
RUSH (5 day)	TIFF, 300 dpi	CD, Email		$100
RUSH (5 day)	Print 8x10 or smaller	Mail		$100
Regular (5 wk)	TIFF, 300 dpi	CD via Mail		$50
Regular (5 wk)	Print, 8x10 or smaller	Mail		$25
Regular (5 wk)	Print 11x14	Mail		$35
Regular (5 wk)	Color Slide (35mm)	Mail		$25
Regular (5 wk)	Color Transparency (4x5)	Mail		$150

C.   Personal Photography Fee

In some cases researchers can make their own photographs of collection items, or scan items with personal scanners, by appointment. SIA can provide a copy stand and two quartz-halogen photographic lamps, but does not have a camera, film, or developing facilities. Requests are reviewed individually, and decisions are based on the condition of the item to be photographed, intended use of the photographs, and potential disruption to SIA operations. A reference archivist must be present during the photography, but cannot provide photographic expertise.

Reproduction Permissions & Fees

All researchers wishing to reproduce SIA photographs for use in electronic or broadcast media, books, periodicals, theses, dissertations, or for any other purpose must apply to the Reference Archivist for written permission (contact osiaref@si.edu for further information). This process ensures that three elements are considered: copyright, citation and credit, and reproduction usage fees. As a condition of the permission, SIA may request a copy of the finished product for its files.

A.   Copyright

SIA photographs are obtained from many sources and are intended primarily for research and educational purposes. Certain works may be protected by copyright, trademark, or related interests not owned by the Smithsonian Institution. Permission will be granted only to the extent of the Smithsonian Institution's ownership of the rights relating to your particular interest. The responsibility for ascertaining whether any such rights exist, and for obtaining all necessary permissions, remains with the researcher.

B.   Citation & Credit

SIA requires proper credit, and reproduction permissions are contingent upon an agreement to supply appropriate credit lines. Of special concern for SIA is facilitating the identification or retrieval of the SIA items that are reproduced, since publication may create further demand for reproduction. Therefore, we ask that the SIA record unit or accession number always be used in credit lines. "Smithsonian Institution" as a credit line is inadequate for this purpose and can cause delay in locating a photograph or the office responsible for the original item. For SIA items, we ask that the following credit line be used.

Smithsonian Institution Archives
Record Unit/Accession # and/or Collection Title
Negative #

C.   Fees

• Reproduction Usage Fee: SIA requires payment of reproduction fees for commercial usage, including profit-making projects by non-profit organizations. "Reproduction Usage Fee Guidelines," describes the process for reaching a reproduction agreement for commercial usage.
• Waivers: In general, SIA will consider a waiver of reproduction fees for non-profit or scholarly projects. The question of commercial or non-commercial usage will be determined by the nature of the project rather than the status of the user. SIA may require non-profit organizations to provide their 501 (c) (3) numbers. In general, a non-commercial publication or project reproduces an image for an educational or cultural purpose and is directed to a limited academic or professional audience with, for books, a press run of less than 8,000 copies.
• Royalties: The Smithsonian Office of Product Development and Licensing (PD & L) arranges with publishers and manufacturers to produce replicas and facsimiles of collection items with royalties paid to the Smithsonian. Reproductions for calendars, greeting cards, games, toys, and similar products are arranged through that office rather than through book and periodical reproduction procedures. Waivers of licensing arrangements for non-profit projects are possible, but must be approved by PD & L. SIA staff will advise requesters to contact PD & L when appropriate.

Fees are for one-time, non-exclusive, one-language, world-wide use of an image. Re-use of the material in a later edition or in another publication or format will be considered a new request.

Revised 1/11/2008