Franz-Josef-Land.info uses photographs, historical maps, expedition images, archival material, illustrations, diagrams, satellite imagery, and other visual media to help explain the geography, history, wildlife, glaciers, geology, and exploration of Franz Josef Land.
We aim to use visual material responsibly and to provide appropriate credit whenever required or practical.
Images may come from:
- public-domain collections,
- Creative Commons repositories,
- museums and archives,
- national libraries,
- scientific institutions,
- government agencies,
- historical publications,
- research projects,
- satellite imagery providers,
- photographers,
- and original graphics created for the site.
Because different images may be subject to different copyright and reuse conditions, readers should not assume that every image on Franz-Josef-Land.info has the same license.
How We Credit Images
Where appropriate, image credits may include:
- creator or photographer,
- title or description,
- date,
- source institution,
- archive or collection,
- license,
- public-domain status,
- and a link to the original source.
A typical credit may take a form such as:
Julius Payer, Map of Franz Josef Land, 1874 — Austrian National Library — Public Domain
or:
Photo by [Creator] — CC BY-SA 4.0 — via Wikimedia Commons
The exact format may vary according to the source and license requirements.
Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons is one of the repositories that may be used for historical and geographic images.
However, individual files on Wikimedia Commons can have different reuse conditions.
Wikimedia’s own guidance notes that files may be:
- public domain,
- CC BY,
- CC BY-SA,
- or subject to another free license,
and that reusers should check the specific file page for attribution and licensing requirements.
When attribution is required, we aim to credit the original creator rather than simply the person who uploaded the file to Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia specifically advises that the uploader and creator may not be the same person.
Creative Commons Images
Creative Commons licenses allow certain forms of reuse, but the conditions vary by license.
Depending on the license, requirements may include:
- giving appropriate credit,
- linking to the license,
- indicating whether changes were made,
- sharing adaptations under the same license,
- or restricting commercial use.
For example, CC BY licenses generally require attribution, a license reference, and disclosure of modifications.
A CC BY-NC license additionally restricts reuse to noncommercial purposes.
We therefore check the license attached to the individual image rather than assuming that all Creative Commons material can be used in the same way.
Public-Domain Images
Some historical maps, expedition photographs, illustrations, and older publications may be in the public domain.
Where material is clearly identified as public domain, it may often be reused without copyright permission.
However, public-domain status does not eliminate the value of attribution.
Whenever practical, we still identify:
- the creator,
- date,
- original work,
- and holding institution.
This helps preserve historical provenance and allows readers to locate the original source.
Public Domain Does Not Always Mean No Restrictions
Even when copyright has expired, other considerations may apply.
These can include:
- privacy rights,
- publicity rights,
- cultural restrictions,
- contractual restrictions,
- or reuse conditions attached to a digital collection.
Wikimedia Commons also notes that non-copyright restrictions can apply independently of copyright status.
For that reason, each image is evaluated individually.
Library and Archive Collections
Historical images may come from institutions such as:
- national libraries,
- maritime museums,
- polar museums,
- university archives,
- government collections,
- and geographical societies.
An institution hosting an image online does not necessarily own the copyright in that image.
The Library of Congress, for example, explicitly states that it often does not own rights to material in its collections and therefore cannot automatically grant permission for reuse.
Users of archival images should therefore examine the specific:
Rights and Access
or
Rights Advisory
information provided for the item or collection. The Library of Congress recommends doing exactly this when determining whether an item can be reused.
Europeana and Cultural Heritage Collections
Some historic images may be discovered through Europeana or institutions contributing to it.
Europeana uses standardized rights statements to indicate whether and under what conditions a digital object may be reused.
Where an image comes from Europeana, we aim to check the rights statement associated with the specific object rather than assuming that everything visible on the platform is freely reusable.
Europeana’s terms specifically state that images and media can carry individual rights statements and should be used according to those conditions.
Historical Maps
Historical maps are particularly important to Franz-Josef-Land.info.
They help document:
- the discovery of the archipelago,
- changing ideas about its geography,
- expedition routes,
- phantom lands,
- old place names,
- glacier extent,
- and the gradual improvement of Arctic cartography.
Whenever possible, map credits should identify:
- cartographer,
- expedition,
- map title,
- date,
- source archive,
- and rights status.
A historical map should not be presented as an anonymous illustration when its provenance is known.
Expedition Photographs
Expedition photography can be especially valuable for articles about:
- Julius Payer,
- Fridtjof Nansen,
- Hjalmar Johansen,
- Frederick Jackson,
- Benjamin Leigh Smith,
- Walter Wellman,
- Georgy Sedov,
- historic camps,
- expedition ships,
- and early polar stations.
When known, credits should preserve:
- photographer,
- expedition,
- approximate date,
- archive,
- and license or public-domain status.
If the photographer is unknown, we may credit the institution or collection while identifying the creator as unknown where appropriate.
Scientific Images
Scientific articles may use visual material such as:
- glacier maps,
- graphs,
- satellite imagery,
- wildlife tracking maps,
- geological diagrams,
- and climate figures.
Scientific figures remain subject to the terms of the publication or dataset from which they originate.
A scientific paper being publicly readable does not automatically mean its figures may be reproduced without restriction.
Where direct reuse is not clearly permitted, we may instead create an original explanatory graphic based on the published findings and cite the underlying source.
Satellite Imagery
Satellite images may come from:
- scientific agencies,
- government programs,
- research institutions,
- or commercial providers.
Reuse terms differ significantly among providers.
Credits should therefore reflect the original imagery source and applicable conditions.
Where satellite data are used to create an original map or visualization, the underlying dataset should be identified when practical.
Original Graphics
Franz-Josef-Land.info may create original:
- maps,
- diagrams,
- timelines,
- route illustrations,
- comparison graphics,
- charts,
- and explanatory figures.
Original graphics should be clearly distinguishable from historical source material.
A reconstructed route map, for example, should not be presented in a way that suggests it is an original nineteenth-century expedition map.
When an original graphic is based on historical or scientific data, the relevant data sources should still be cited.
AI-Generated Images
AI-generated images may occasionally be used for:
- decorative illustration,
- conceptual visualization,
- or non-documentary design.
Such images should not be presented as:
- historical photographs,
- authentic expedition scenes,
- archival documents,
- original maps,
- or scientific evidence.
If an AI-generated image could reasonably be mistaken for documentary material, its synthetic nature should be made clear.
AI-generated visuals should never be used to fabricate historical evidence.
Edited or Restored Images
Some historical images may be:
- cropped,
- color-corrected,
- cleaned,
- enhanced,
- repaired,
- or otherwise digitally restored.
Where significant modification could change how the image is interpreted, that fact should be disclosed.
Restoration should not create new historical content that was not present in the original source.
Colorized Historical Images
Colorized historical photographs should be identified as colorized.
Color can make old images easier to interpret, but added color is usually an artistic or reconstructed element rather than direct historical evidence.
The original black-and-white version remains the documentary source.
Image Captions
Captions should describe what the evidence supports.
They should not invent:
- identities,
- locations,
- dates,
- or events.
If identification is uncertain, captions should use language such as:
- believed to be,
- probably,
- possibly,
- traditionally identified as,
- or unidentified.
A confident caption should not be created from uncertain metadata.
Cropping and Context
Cropping can improve readability but may remove contextual information.
When the broader context matters historically or scientifically, excessive cropping should be avoided.
An image should not be cropped in a way that changes its apparent meaning.
Attribution Location
Image credits may appear:
- directly beneath an image,
- inside its caption,
- in an image information panel,
- or on a dedicated credits page.
The placement may depend on site design and license requirements.
Where a license requires attribution, the credit should remain reasonably accessible to readers.
Credit Line Components
A full credit may include:
Creator — Title or Description — Date — Institution/Source — License
For example:
Fridtjof Nansen expedition photograph — National Library of Norway — Public Domain
or:
Jane Example — Polar Bear on Sea Ice — CC BY 4.0 — via Wikimedia Commons
Not every image will have all of these fields available.
Image Sources May Change
Collections sometimes:
- update metadata,
- correct attribution,
- change URLs,
- revise rights statements,
- or identify previously unknown creators.
If stronger information becomes available, image credits may be updated.
Incorrect Attribution
If we discover that an image has been incorrectly credited, we aim to correct it.
Possible errors include:
- wrong photographer,
- wrong expedition,
- wrong date,
- wrong archive,
- incorrect license,
- or misidentification of the subject.
Substantive attribution corrections are handled in line with our broader Corrections Policy.
Copyright Concerns
If you believe an image on Franz-Josef-Land.info:
- infringes copyright,
- has incorrect attribution,
- uses the wrong license,
- misidentifies the creator,
- or should not be displayed,
please contact us with as much information as possible.
Helpful details include:
- the page URL,
- the image in question,
- the rights holder or creator,
- supporting documentation,
- and the requested correction or removal.
We will review credible notices and make appropriate changes where warranted.
No Ownership Claim Over Third-Party Images
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, Franz-Josef-Land.info does not claim ownership of third-party photographs, maps, archival material, or other visual works.
Credit to a museum, archive, photographer, or repository does not imply that Franz-Josef-Land.info owns or controls the underlying rights.
Likewise, the fact that an image appears on this website does not automatically grant visitors permission to reuse it elsewhere.
Anyone wishing to reuse an image should consult the original source and its applicable rights statement or license.
Reuse by Our Readers
Readers should not assume that images on Franz-Josef-Land.info are licensed under the same terms as the site’s written content.
Before reusing an image, check:
- the image credit,
- the original source,
- the rights statement,
- the applicable license,
- and any restrictions specified by the rights holder or institution.
Wikimedia Commons, Europeana, and the Library of Congress all emphasize checking item-specific rights information rather than assuming that everything within a collection has identical reuse terms.
Why Image Credits Matter
Franz Josef Land’s visual record spans more than a century.
Historic maps show how the archipelago was gradually charted.
Expedition photographs preserve camps and ships that no longer exist.
Scientific imagery reveals glaciers retreating across decades.
Wildlife photographs document Arctic ecosystems.
Satellite images make it possible to see an archipelago that early explorers could only reconstruct from fragmented observations.
These images are not merely decoration.
They are evidence.
Crediting them properly preserves the connection between:
image
↓
creator
↓
source
↓
historical or scientific context.
That connection is central to the way Franz-Josef-Land.info approaches visual material.
Our aim is to use images in a way that respects creators, archives, institutions, licenses, and the historical record while making the extraordinary landscape and history of Franz Josef Land easier to understand.