The Caribbean Legacy Archive is committed to maintaining a credible, authoritative, and legally sound repository of historical figures. To ensure this, we employ a strict source-and-license workflow for every image displayed on our platform.
Our Sourcing Policy
We do not use unverified images scraped from search engines or social media. Instead, we prioritize the following sources:
- Public Domain Archives: Images sourced from the Library of Congress, U.S. National Archives, Wikimedia Commons, National Library of Jamaica, Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC), UK National Archives, and the NYPL/Schomburg Center.
- Creative Commons: We utilize images with licenses that permit reuse, specifically CC BY, CC BY-SA, or CC0/Public Domain, and always provide proper attribution.
- Directly Licensed Material: When an image's rights are unclear but historically significant, we seek direct permission from the respective museum, archive, or rights holder.
- Original & Reconstructed Graphics: For figures where no verified portrait exists, we utilize original graphics, maps, timelines, or clearly labeled reconstructive illustrations to provide atmosphere without misleading the viewer.
Attribution and Metadata
For every image sourced, we maintain a strict record of its metadata, including the title, creator, archive source, license type, and download date.
When browsing a profile in the archive, you will find the image credit line displayed directly beneath the portrait. This credit typically includes the title of the work, the creator's name, the license, and a link to the source repository when applicable.
Verified Resources
If you are interested in exploring the public domain and open-license archives we rely on, we recommend starting here:
- Wikimedia Reuse Guide
- Creative Commons Attribution Practices
- Library of Congress Free-to-Use Images
- Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC)
- National Library of Jamaica Digital Collections