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Aerial Photography

Illinois Aerial Photograph Imagebase Project

Aerial photographs are the focus of a pilot project currently under way as a joint project of the Map and Geography Library and the Digital Imaging and Media Technology Initiative and Geographic Modeling Systems Laboratory at the University of Illinois.  The project is called the Aerial Photos Imagebase Project, and its goals are the conservation of a badly deteriorated collection and the provision of innovative electronic access to digital information.   The aerial photo collection is an invaluable resource for scholars, citizens, and the business community, because it provides the only remaining footprints of historical land and resource usage in Illinois.  Therefore, steps are being taken to digitize and preserve the data that they contain and to make them accessible to a broad audience.

UIUC Aerial Photograph Print Holdings by County

The Map and Geography Library maintains a comprehensive collection of aerial photographs for all Illinois counties. Coverage for other states is not available, but the library can help in locating other sources of aerial photography. The earliest aerial photography in the collection is from the late 1930s and the most recent is from 1998. Photographs flown in 1988, 1993, and 1998 are at the scale 1:40,000; those flown prior to 1988 tend to be at 1:20,000. All of the photographs are black-and-white. The library does not own any negatives, only positive prints. Except for statewide photography coverage produced in 1988, 1993 and 1998, all of the aerial photographs are grouped into county sets. Indexes are available for all sets to identify needed photographs, and the library has a small collection of stereoscopes and magnifying glasses to assist in photograph viewing.

Requesting Photography

Aerial photograph users are responsible for using set indexes to identify the photographs that they need to examine. Map and Geography Library employees are unable to retrieve photography with only a general description of an area of interest so specific photographs must be requested. Library employees will be happy to assist with index usage but the final responsibility for correctly identifying locations and photographs rests with the user.

Requested aerial photographs will be pulled from the collection by a Map and Geography Library employee and will be available for use within 2 days after the time of the request during the regular business week. Indexes are available for use all hours that the Map and Geography Library is open but photograph requests made during evening or weekend hours will not be filled until the next business day. Aerial photographs previously pulled are available for use any time that the Map and Geography Library is open. They are held behind the unit’s circulation desk and may be requested from library employees.

Click here for information about photocopying or reproducing aerial photography.

The Aerial Stereogram Print Collection is not available through the Map and Geography Library. Please contact the Office of Printing Services, 217-333-4677, or go to the Office of Printing Services description of the collection, a PDF file, for information about the collection and about purchasing prints or reproduction rights. Please note that this collection is in transit at this time and may not be available. (November 2007)

Map and Geography Library staff are unable to consult indexes for distant users. Individuals interested in using aerial photography are encouraged to come to the Map and Geography Library Monday through Friday between 9:00am and 5:00pm. Map and Geography Library staff will attempt to expedite pulling requested photographs for visitors from out of town if the requests are received prior to 10:00am.

	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Gateway Homepage Comments to: Map and Geography Library Updated: 12.05.2006 JMJ