Where our images come from.
Where our images come from, why they can be reproduced, and what restoration changes.
Every poster we sell has a documented basis for reproduction, and we keep a record of where each image came from.
Where the images come from
Our restorations start from scans held by public institutions such as the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, the National Archives and museum collections. For each poster we record the archive, the catalogue number, the original title, the date, the artist and the issuing organisation. These sources are listed at the end of each poster history in our Poster Journal.
Why these posters can be reproduced
Most American wartime posters are in the public domain in the United States, usually because they were produced by a U.S. government agency, were published long enough ago that any copyright has expired, or were published without a copyright notice or renewal. We check this for each poster before it is listed, and we record the archive’s own rights statement. We do not treat an archive’s “no known restrictions” note as a guarantee on its own.
Military marks and insignia
Copyright and trademarks are separate questions. Seals, emblems and service marks that appear on historic posters are reviewed separately, and we reproduce them only as part of the original historic artwork.
What restoration changes
We keep an untouched copy of every source scan. Restoration removes damage and recovers faded colour, but we do not add lettering or details that were not on the original. Where a restoration leaves out part of the original sheet, such as a small printer’s line in the margin, the poster’s history page says so.
No affiliation
American Military Posters is an independent business. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense, any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, or the institutions whose collections we draw on.
Questions about a particular poster? Contact us.