Image Publication and Original Captions — Image Publication and Original Captions

Locating the earliest published instance of a photograph helps clarify its original context and captions. For copyright purposes, the owner of the copyright determines when, where, and how a photograph is first published.

When registering a group of published photographs, the applicant must specify the earliest and latest publication dates. Comparing these official publication dates can help researchers determine if an image is a current depiction or an older file.