NYC Releases Massive Digital Archive

The New York City Department of Records has spent the last four years digitizing hundreds of thousands of images in its photo archive, which stretches back to the 1880s. That project is still underway, but beginning today the archive is open to the public for (mostly) free use. Amazing.

The Online Gallery provides free and open research access to over 800,000 items digitized from the Municipal Archives’ collections, including photographs, maps, motion-pictures and audio recordings. The holdings are arranged by collection; or you may search “All Collections” by keyword or any of the advanced search criteria. Patrons may order prints or digital files, and license images or film clips for commercial use.

At this writing the archive, understandably, is groaning under the weight of today's announcement. For now you can see a small sampling at Gothamist.