The Library of Congress has published over 11,000 high-resolution shots of U.S. roadside attractions, and released the images (to which it had purchased the rights) into the public domain...

https://lifehacker.com/download-11-710-free-to-use-photos-of-roadside-american-1838050435

I was wondering how many of these photos will end up uploaded to microstock agencies...

The Library of Congress has published over 11,000 high-resolution shots of U.S. roadside attractions, and released the images (to which it had purchased the rights) into the public domain...

https://lifehacker.com/download-11-710-free-to-use-photos-of-roadside-american-1838050435

I was wondering how many of these photos will end up uploaded to microstock agencies...

None on Shutterstock if that's any help? Not acceptable.

While someone might want to get a free download of something from LOC and they have a disclaimer, these may not be public domain, the next step is editing and adjusting. I'd think that anyone who downloads and wants to make a marketable image, would need to spend 20-30 minutes for each one.

On the other hand, if someone just grabs something, converts it to a JPG and makes sure the size is right, that could take less time. A shabby upload of an old image, isn't going to sell very well, while a really cleaned and edited version might attract attention.

That's my view of time vs return. I'm not sure that the result is worth the effort if done properly and the interest from buyers for rougher images, isn't going to make them attractive.

So I'd say, instead of someone downloading hundreds of images or thousands and splashing them on the smaller sites, with lower standards and lower sales, one might consider being very selective about the choices and find a small number of "best" images, then try those. Others may be faster at editing than I am, or maybe not as cautious for artifacts. But I'm saying, before anyone says, I'll grab these and have 1,000 new images, they might consider time, effort and market demand.

With that, a test set is probably the first step, to see if they make enough to warrent the downloading and editing. 

The sites that are likely to get downloads, SS doesn't take them, AS is very picky,  (site says they don't take public domain images), IS I don't know everything changes too much, DT you are pretty much on your own guess, and Alamy will accept them if clean and sharp. The rest with weak reviews, might accept them, but where's the profit if there are no sales?

Just some things to consider.


Items created by Library of Congress employees in the scope of their employment are U.S. Government works not subject to copyright in the United States (17 U.S.C. �105). Unless otherwise indicated on this site, the Library of Congress has no objection to the international use and reuse of Library U.S. Government works on loc.gov. These works are also available for worldwide use and reuse under CC0 1.0 Universal.

Plus anyone who wants the images, can find them free on the LOC site, if they want to spend the time editing. Just like NASA and some other US Government images that are available.

Before someone else brings it up, I have nothing against someone finding a PD image, out of copyright, enhancing, adjusting, editing, and modifying, and then offering it up for sale or license.