Sunday, November 27, 2005
New Flickr Site
Please check out the new opendomain site on flickr. All of the images posted to this site will be public domain. Enjoy!
Kellar!
From the Library of Congress:
TITLE: Kellar
CALL NUMBER: POS - MAG - .K44, no. 8 (C size)
REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-USZ62-24461 (b&w film copy neg.)No known restrictions on publication.
MEDIUM: 1 print (poster) : lithograph, color ; 101 x 77 cm.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: Cin'ti ; New York : Strobridge Litho. Co., c1899.
CREATOR:
Strobridge & Co. Lith.
NOTES:
36258 U.S. Copyright Office
Created and "copyright 1899 by The Strobridge Litho. Co., Cin'ti & New York."
Similar smaller version of poster: POS - MAG - .K44, no. 8a (C size).
Similar larger version of poster: POS - MAG - .K44, no. 8b (D size).
N.Y. no. 8499.
SUBJECTS:
Kellar, Harry, 1849-1922--Performances.Demons.Toasting.Magic.Magicians.
FORMAT:
Theatrical posters American.Lithographs Color.
PART OF: Magic Poster Collection (Library of Congress)
REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
DIGITAL ID: (digital file from intermediary roll copy film) var 2050 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/var.2050
CARD #: var1994001606/PP
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Giant Cannon!
From the Library of Congress:
TITLE: Fort Fisher, North Carolina. Gun with muzzle shot away
CALL NUMBER: LC-B811- 1233[P&P]
REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-DIG-cwpb-01411 (digital file from original neg.)No known restrictions on publication.
MEDIUM: 1 negative : glass, wet collodion.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: 1865 Jan.
CREATOR:
O'Sullivan, Timothy H., 1840-1882, photographer.
NOTES:
Caption from negative sleeve: Fort Fisher, N.C. gun with muzzle shot away.
Forms part of Civil War glass negative collection (Library of Congress).
SUBJECTS:
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
FORMAT:
Glass negatives 1860-1870.
REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
DIGITAL ID: (digital file from original neg.) cwpb 01411 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpb.01411
CARD #: cwp2003004621/PP
Friday, November 25, 2005
Saturn's Rings
From NASA:
A grandiose gesture of gravity, Saturn's icy rings fan out across many thousands of kilometers of space. The moon Pan (26 kilometers, or 16 miles across) dutifully follows its path, like the billions and billions of particles comprising the rings. The little moon is seen within the Encke gap. The famous Cassini Division spans upper left corner of the scene. The Cassini Division is approximately 4,800 kilometers wide (2,980 miles) and is visible in small telescopes from Earth. The narrow, knotted F ring is thinly visible just beyond the main rings.The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on July 20, 2005, at a distance of approximately 2.1 million kilometers (1.3 million miles) from Saturn. The image scale on Pan is 13 kilometers (8 miles) per pixel. Image Credit: NASA
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Another great free movie
Check out They Made Me a Criminal on the Internet Archive's site. A very neat flick, and totally free!
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Frogs Galore!
From the USGS:
Wood frogs, Rana sylvatica, are the earliest breeding frogs at Patuxent. These frogs are one of the few amphibians that actually produce their own antifreeze within their blood, allowing them to survive cold temperatures while hibernating just under the leaf litter. Like spotted salamanders, these frogs have been a focal species for amphibian monitoring at Patuxent for the past 5 years. Photo by Evan H.C. Grant, USGS. Images Link.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
After Marriage
From the Library of Congress:
TITLE: After marriage
CALL NUMBER: LOT 7333 [item] [P&P] Check for an online group record (may link to related items)
REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-USZ62-63553 (b&w film copy neg. of half stereo)No known restrictions on publication.
SUMMARY: Couple under umbrellas with backs to each other, both with downcast eyes, woman forlornly holding single rose to nose.
MEDIUM: 1 photographic print on stereo card : stereograph.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: c1900.
NOTES:
Stereo copyrighted by R.R. Whiting (The Whiting View Co., Cincinnati).
No. 2891(b).
This record contains unverified, old data from caption card, with subsequent revisions.
Caption card tracings: Photog. I.; Courtship...--1900; Marriage--1900; Humor; Shelf.
REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
DIGITAL ID: (digital file from b&w film copy neg.) cph 3b11168 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b11168
CARD #: 2005686734
Monday, November 21, 2005
Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG)
FROM NASA:KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. – Supported by a crane in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) is lowered onto a transporter. The RTG is being returned to the RTG facility. The RTG is the baseline power supply for the New Horizons, scheduled to launch in January 2006 on a journey to Pluto and its moon, Charon. As it approaches Pluto, the spacecraft will look for ultraviolet emission from Pluto's atmosphere and make the best global maps of Pluto and Charon in green, blue, red and a special wavelength that is sensitive to methane frost on the surface. It will also take spectral maps in the near infrared, telling the science team about Pluto's and Charon's surface compositions and locations and temperatures of these materials. When the spacecraft is closest to Pluto or its moon, it will take close-up pictures in both visible and near-infrared wavelengths. It is expected to reach Pluto in July 2015.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Saturday, November 19, 2005
The Public Domain: An Overview
The public domain comprises the body of knowledge and innovation (especially creative works such as writing, art, music, and inventions) in relation to which no person or other legal entity can establish or maintain proprietary interests. This body of information and creativity is considered to be part of the common cultural and intellectual heritage of humanity, which in general anyone may use or exploit.
If an item is not in the public domain, this may be the result of a proprietary interest as represented by a copyright or patent. The extent to which members of the public may use or exploit an item in relation to which proprietary interests exist is generally limited. However, when copyright or other intellectual property restrictions expire, works will enter the public domain and may be used by anyone for any purpose.
No legal restriction on use
A creative work is said to be in the public domain if there are no laws which restrict its use by the public at large. There may be no laws which establish proprietary rights in relation to the work, or the work or its subject matter may be specifically excluded from existing laws.
The underlying idea which is expressed or manifested in the creation of a work generally cannot be the subject of intellectual property laws (see idea-expression divide). Mathematical formulas will therefore generally form part of the public domain, to the extent that their application in the form of software is not covered by copyright.
Works created before the application of intellectual property laws also form part of the public domain. The Bible and Qu'ran, the works of Homer and the inventions of Archimedes are in the public domain. However, intellectual property rights may subsist in translations or new formulations of these works.
Although intellectual property laws are not designed to prevent facts from entering the public domain, collections of facts organized or presented in a creative way, such as categorized lists, may be copyrighted. Collections of data with intuitive organization, such as alphabetized directories like telephone directories, are generally not copyrightable. In some countries copyright-like rights are granted for databases, even those containing mere facts. A sui generis database rights regime is in place in the European Union.
Works of the United States Government and various other governments are excluded from copyright law and may therefore be considered to be in the public domain.
Creative Commons [1], an organization which promotes the migration of works into the public domain, and copyleft licensing schemes, considers that:
"Public access to literature, art, music, and film is essential to preserving and building on our cultural heritage. Many of the most important works of American culture have drawn upon the creative potential of the public domain. Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life is a classic example of a film that did not enjoy popular success until it entered the public domain. Other icons such as Snow White, Pinocchio, Santa Claus and Uncle Sam grew out of public domain figures."
United States law
Generally, it is held under Feist that Congress does not have the power to re-copyright works that have fallen into the public domain. [Eldred v. Ashcroft transcript] But re-copyrighting has happened before. "After World War I and after World War II, there were special amendments to the Copyright Act to permit for a limited time and under certain conditions the recapture of works that might have fallen into the public domain, principally by aliens of countries with which we had been at war." (Testimony of Dorothy Schrader, general counsel of the U.S. copyright office, hearing for H.R. 1623, serial 100/50)
Works created by a United States government agency are public domain at the moment of creation. Examples are: NASA photographs, military journalism, federal court opinions (but not necessarily state court opinions), congressional committee reports, census data, etc. Availability of such documents may, however, be limited by secrecy laws.
Before 1978, unpublished works were not covered by the federal copyright act. This does not mean that the works were in the public domain; it means that they were covered under (perpetual) state copyright acts. Web sites that claim that "pre-1923 works are safe" are wrong for unpublished works. These works not published by 2002 are under federal copyright for life plus seventy years.
Until the Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1987, the copyright term in the United States was only five years for works published without a copyright notice, unless the work was registered with the Library of Congress in that time period.
Critics of copyright term extensions have said that Congress has achieved a perpetual copyright term "on the installment plan." Statement of Professor Peter Jaszi, The Copyright Term Extension Act of 1995: Hearing on S.483 Before the Senate Judiciary Comm., 104th Cong.
All text in this post is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation.
If an item is not in the public domain, this may be the result of a proprietary interest as represented by a copyright or patent. The extent to which members of the public may use or exploit an item in relation to which proprietary interests exist is generally limited. However, when copyright or other intellectual property restrictions expire, works will enter the public domain and may be used by anyone for any purpose.
No legal restriction on use
A creative work is said to be in the public domain if there are no laws which restrict its use by the public at large. There may be no laws which establish proprietary rights in relation to the work, or the work or its subject matter may be specifically excluded from existing laws.
The underlying idea which is expressed or manifested in the creation of a work generally cannot be the subject of intellectual property laws (see idea-expression divide). Mathematical formulas will therefore generally form part of the public domain, to the extent that their application in the form of software is not covered by copyright.
Works created before the application of intellectual property laws also form part of the public domain. The Bible and Qu'ran, the works of Homer and the inventions of Archimedes are in the public domain. However, intellectual property rights may subsist in translations or new formulations of these works.
Although intellectual property laws are not designed to prevent facts from entering the public domain, collections of facts organized or presented in a creative way, such as categorized lists, may be copyrighted. Collections of data with intuitive organization, such as alphabetized directories like telephone directories, are generally not copyrightable. In some countries copyright-like rights are granted for databases, even those containing mere facts. A sui generis database rights regime is in place in the European Union.
Works of the United States Government and various other governments are excluded from copyright law and may therefore be considered to be in the public domain.
Creative Commons [1], an organization which promotes the migration of works into the public domain, and copyleft licensing schemes, considers that:
"Public access to literature, art, music, and film is essential to preserving and building on our cultural heritage. Many of the most important works of American culture have drawn upon the creative potential of the public domain. Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life is a classic example of a film that did not enjoy popular success until it entered the public domain. Other icons such as Snow White, Pinocchio, Santa Claus and Uncle Sam grew out of public domain figures."
United States law
Generally, it is held under Feist that Congress does not have the power to re-copyright works that have fallen into the public domain. [Eldred v. Ashcroft transcript] But re-copyrighting has happened before. "After World War I and after World War II, there were special amendments to the Copyright Act to permit for a limited time and under certain conditions the recapture of works that might have fallen into the public domain, principally by aliens of countries with which we had been at war." (Testimony of Dorothy Schrader, general counsel of the U.S. copyright office, hearing for H.R. 1623, serial 100/50)
Works created by a United States government agency are public domain at the moment of creation. Examples are: NASA photographs, military journalism, federal court opinions (but not necessarily state court opinions), congressional committee reports, census data, etc. Availability of such documents may, however, be limited by secrecy laws.
Before 1978, unpublished works were not covered by the federal copyright act. This does not mean that the works were in the public domain; it means that they were covered under (perpetual) state copyright acts. Web sites that claim that "pre-1923 works are safe" are wrong for unpublished works. These works not published by 2002 are under federal copyright for life plus seventy years.
Until the Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1987, the copyright term in the United States was only five years for works published without a copyright notice, unless the work was registered with the Library of Congress in that time period.
Critics of copyright term extensions have said that Congress has achieved a perpetual copyright term "on the installment plan." Statement of Professor Peter Jaszi, The Copyright Term Extension Act of 1995: Hearing on S.483 Before the Senate Judiciary Comm., 104th Cong.
All text in this post is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Houdini the greatest necromancer of the age
From the Library of Congress:
TITLE: Master mystifier, Houdini the greatest necromancer of the age - perhaps of all times--The literary digest.
CALL NUMBER: POS - MAG - .H68, no. 5 (SOS size)
REPRODUCTION NUMBER: _ _ _ _ _ No known restrictions on publication.
MEDIUM: 1 print (poster) : lithograph, color ; 262 x 200 cm.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: Cleveland, O. : Otis Lithograph Co., [192-?]
CREATOR:
Otis Lithograph Co.
NOTES:
Created by "The Otis Lithograph Co., Cleveland, O."
Forms part of the McManus-Young Collection.
Caption: Buried alive, Egyptian Fakirs outdone.
No. 0 3.
Transferred from; LC Rare Book and Special Collections Division; 1956.
SUBJECTS:
Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926.Magicians.Sphinxes.Tombs & sepulchral monuments--Egypt.Egypt.
FORMAT:
Theatrical posters American.Lithographs Color.
PART OF: Magic Poster Collection (Library of Congress)
REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
DIGITAL ID: (digital file from intermediary roll copy film) var 2006 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/var.2006
CARD #: var1995002113/PP
Alexander the man who knows
From the Library of Congress:
TITLE: Alexander the man who knows
CALL NUMBER: POS - MAG - .A44, no. 1 (B size)
REPRODUCTION NUMBER: _ _ _ _ _ No known restrictions on publication.
MEDIUM: 1 print (poster) : lithograph, color ; 56 x 34 cm.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: [19--]
NOTES:
At head of title: Pantages, Minneapolis; week com. Sun. Mar. 30.
Forms part of the McManus-Young Collection.
Transferred from; LC Rare Book and Special Collections Division; 1956.
SUBJECTS:
Alexander, C. A. (Claude Alexander), 1880-1954.Magicians.Turbans.
FORMAT:
Portrait prints.Theatrical posters American.Lithographs Color.
PART OF: Magic Poster Collection (Library of Congress)
REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
DIGITAL ID: (digital file from intermediary roll copy film) var 0245 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/var.0245
CARD #: var1993000252/PP
Exclusive debutantes in silhouette
From the Library of Congress:
TITLE: Exclusive debutantes in silhouette
CALL NUMBER: LOT 12342-7
REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-USZ62-106953 (b&w film copy neg.)No known restrictions on publication.
SUMMARY: Miss Cecil Smiddy and Miss Pearl Smiddy sitting beside tennis courts.
MEDIUM: 1 photographic print.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: [between 1924 and 1928]
NOTES:
National Photo Company Collection.
SUBJECTS:
Smiddy, Timothy A.--Family.Women--Social life--Washington (D.C.)--1920-1930.Tennis--Washington (D.C.)--1920-1930.
FORMAT:
Portrait photographs 1920-1930.Group portraits 1920-1930.Photographic prints 1920-1930.
DIGITAL ID: (b&w film copy neg.) cph 3c06953 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c06953
CARD #: 92522649
Another famous photo
From the Library of Congress:
TITLE: Destitute pea pickers in California. Mother of seven children. Age thirty-two.
CALL NUMBER: LC-USF34- 009058-C [P&P]LC-USF346-009058-C b&w film transparencyLC-USF347-009058-C b&w film safety neg.
REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-DIG-fsa-8b29516 (b&w digital file from nitrate neg.)LC-USF34-T01-009058-C (b&w film dup. neg.)
SUMMARY: Portrait shows Florence Thompson with several of her children in a photograph known
MEDIUM: 1 negative : nitrate ; 4 x 5 in.
CREATED/PUBLISHED: 1936 Feb.
CREATOR:
Lange, Dorothea, photographer.
NOTES:
Title from caption card.
This is the original nitrate negative for "Migrant Mother" (LC-USF34-009058-C). It
Part of the "Migrant Mother" series.
A copy transparency (LC-USF346-009058-C) and a copy safety negative
LOT 0344 (Location of corresponding print.)
Libary of Congress prints and photographs: an illustrated guide. Washington : Library
Published in: Eyes of the nation : a visual history of the United States / Vincent Virga
Published in: American women : a Library of Congress guide ... Washington : Library
Transfer; United States. Office of War Information. Overseas Picture Division.
TOPICS:
Migrants--California
SUBJECTS:
Migrant agricultural laborers.Mothers & children.Poor persons.United States--California--San Luis Obispo County--Nipomo.
FORMAT:
Nitrate negatives.Portrait photographs.Group portraits.
OTHER TITLE:
Migrant mother.
PART OF: Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection
REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, DC 20540
DIGITAL ID: (b&w digital file from nitrate neg.) fsa 8b29516
OTHER NUMBER: J 339168
CARD #: fsa1998021539/PP
Tris Speaker - Legendary Baseball Player
From the Library of Congress:
TITLE:[Tris Speaker]
CALL NUMBER:LOT 13163-18, no. 209
MEDIUM:1 print : relief with halftone, color
CREATED/PUBLISHED:1909-11
NOTES:Issued by: American Tobacco Company
TOPICS:Tris SpeakerBoston Red SoxBostonAmerican Leaguecenter fielderBaseball cards
RELATED NAMES:American Tobacco Company
OTHER TITLES:White Borders (T206)
COLLECTION:Baseball Cards from the Benjamin K. Edwards Collection
REPOSITORY:Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
DIGITAL ID:(original) bbc 0878
John Glenn - American Hero
This is a great NASA photo of space pioneer John Glenn. Photo was taken in 1962.
More information on this image can be found here.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Here we go!
This is an experimental blog dealing exclusively with public domain content. The goal of the blog is not only to raise awareness of our public domain (shared culture), but also provide specific examples of public domain material.
It should be a fun ride!
It should be a fun ride!
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