The State Archives of Florida is seeking photographs for its newest photographic collection, “Weather, Disaster and Recovery.”
“By donating your photos for this new collection, you can help document and preserve the history of your community and fill historical gaps in the State Archives’ collections,” said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. “Consider contributing to Florida’s history by donating your photographs.”
Email the State Archives of Florida at Floridamemory@dos.fl.gov to discuss donating your original photographs featuring weather events, disasters and recovery efforts.
Specific information about the donation process is below.
I have older, print photographs or negatives. Are you interested in those?
Yes. The Florida Photographic Collection contains more than a million prints and negatives from Florida history, and we continue to accept these formats alongside contemporary digital photographs.
Can I donate photographs taken with my phone?
If you took the photograph yourself, probably. The camera on your mobile device likely produces images of high enough quality to meet our minimum requirements. Most modern devices, including iPhones (4 and newer), iPads (3 and newer), and many Android devices by Samsung, Motorola and Sony take photographs at or above our minimum resolution of 5 megapixels. Check your phone's specifications to verify that it provides the appropriate quality for images.
How do I donate my digital photographs?
We can process digital donations remotely via email. Send all photos as attachments to the Archives by email at Floridamemory@dos.fl.gov.
What happens after I send my photos?
After you email us, we will send you a Deed of Gift form to fill out and email back to us. All donors must sign the form to transfer image ownership and usage rights to the State Archives of Florida. This ensures that you and others will be able to access and use the image now and in the future. The State Archives will credit the photographer in collection records and when the image is accessed by researchers.
What are the digital photograph specifications?
File Format: TIFF and RAW preferred. JPEG accepted.
Megapixel: Minimum 5MP
Will my photos be put on Florida Memory?
It is possible, but not all photographs donated to the State Archives of Florida appear on Florida Memory. They will still be included in the Florida Photographic Collection at the State Archives of Florida and accessible to researchers.
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