This is a peaceful public domain stock image captured by Jack Delano for the FSA. In this stock photo, four people are going into town on a Saturday afternoon on a horse drawn wagon. There appears to be one man and three woman in this photograph taken in Greene Co., Georgia.

There is something about the horse-drawn wagon that evokes a simpler, quieter time before car fumes and clouded highways. This image captures the stillness of that nostalgia with blue skies and a carefully dressed family.

This photo was taken by Jack Delano, who was working as an agent of the United States government. Because this image was taken by an employee of the federal government, it is in the public domain. Privacy and publicity rights may apply.

42 megabyte TIFF. Hosted at the Library of Congress.

Posed? Well maybe… but cool nonetheless. Arthur Rothstein captures two young student pilots standing beside a very shiny red airplane at Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Texas. The student pilots are dressed in bright white flight suits that contrast intensely with the red plane. The two men appear to be looking over a map or flight plan.

This photo was taken by Arthur Rothstein, who was working as an agent of the United States government. Because this image was taken by an employee of the federal government, it is in the public domain. Privacy and publicity rights may apply.

59 megabyte TIFF. Hosted at the Library of Congress.

This public domain stock image by Arthur Rothstein captures an instructor explaining proper parachute operation at Meacham field, Fort Worth, Texas. The instructor can be seen in gray, while the students are dressed in white flight suits.

The white of the flight suits along with the white parachute and the strings strongly contrast with the dull colors of the base and a hazy gray-blue sky.

This photo was taken by Arthur Rothstein, who was working as an agent of the United States government. Because this image was taken by an employee of the federal government, it is in the public domain. Privacy and publicity rights may still apply.

59 megabyte TIFF. Hosted at the Library of Congress.

Another fantastic public domain photograph from the FSA color collection. In this image, a young lieutenant stands in a yellow flight jacket beside a matching yellow plane. The title of the image within the Library of Congress informs us that that the man is a marine lieutenant and the plane he is standing beside is a power plane used to tow training gliders at Page Field, Parris, Island, S.C.

This photo was taken by Alfred T. Palmer, who was working as an agent of the United States government. Because this image was taken by an employee of the federal government, it is in the public domain.

47 megabyte TIFF. Hosted at the Library of Congress.

This image shows the first military aircraft, Signal Corps Airplane No. 1. This was a creation of Wright Brothers, in response to a request by the United States War Department for a “Heavier-than-air Flying Machine.” The Wright brothers’ design was accepted into service, despite a crash during test flights that resulted in the death of a co-pilot.

This image was taken by an unknown photographer in 1908. Due the the date of origination, along with its likely publication, we believe it resides in the public domain. Please contact Ars Publik if you believe this designation is in error.

4.05 megabyte JPG. Hosted by nasa.gov.

This image captures the birth of modern aviation with the first successful flight of Kitty Hawk, a creation of the Wright Brothers. This aircraft was airborne for 12 seconds during its first flight and traveled forty yards. The length of the successive flights extended to nearly a minute. Orville Wright was the pilot during these trial flights.

This image was taken by an unknown photographer in 1903. Due the the date of origination, along with its likely publication, we believe it resides in the public domain. Please contact Ars Publik if you believe this designation to be in error.

1.16 megabyte JPG. Hosted by nasa.gov.

This photo was taken for the Bain News Service. There are no known restrictions on the use of images in this collection. This image is in the public domain.

23 megabyte TIFF. Hosted at the Library of Congress.

This photo was taken by Russell Lee, working as an agent of the United States Government, and is therefore assumed to be in the public domain.

19 megabyte TIFF. Hosted at the Library of Congress.

This photo was shot by John Collier, who was acting as an agent of the United States Government. The image is therefore in the public domain.

12 megabyte TIFF. Hosted at the Library of Congress.