Photograph Collection

The Photograph Collection contains approximately 500,000 images dating from the 1860s to the present, with the bulk from the early 20th century.  It includes images of baseball players and officials with a special emphasis on the Hall of Fame inductees; group portraits of teams from different leagues; game action from the regular and post season; and other baseball related subjects such as stadiums, spring training, American baseball players on tours to other countries, and Hall of Fame events. 

The collection primarily consists of black & white photographic prints, but also includes color photographs, film and glass negatives, slides, and digital photographs.   It incorporates images created for a variety of uses including news and wire service photographs taken and distributed for publication in newspapers; publicity shots issued by the teams; images by professional sports photographers; magazines; baseball card manufacturers; and some amateur work. 

Online access to the photograph collection is limited.  However, an increasing number of records describing the Hall of Fame’s photograph collections are available via ABNER, our online library catalog. Researchers are encouraged to conduct a thorough review of ABNER prior to making an appointment.  ABNER offers the opportunity to search our library collection by author, title, subject and keyword.              

Research access to this collection is provided via the Giamatti Research Center.  Scheduling an appointment before visiting is highly encouraged.   We prefer at least two weeks advance notice for anyone wishing to gain access to the library collection.  This will allow our staff to identify and pull material to meet your research needs and to notify you of holidays, conferences, staff meetings, and other factors that affect our service hours.  General inquiries concerning library access may be directed to the Giamatti Research Center as follows:

For researchers unable to visit the Giamatti Research Center, or for those who have more extensive questions related to photo research or rights and reproductions issues, the staff of our Photo Department is available to help.  Questions may be directed to:

Photographic Rights and Reproductions 

Many of the photographs in our collection are available for reproduction. We will gladly send a limited selection of photocopies or low-resolution digital files for your review. Please note that a $15.00 to $25.00 per hour research fee may be charged for extensive requests. All photograph reproduction rates are per image and are subject to change. A check, money order or credit card will be accepted for all orders.  Prepayment is required. 

The National Baseball Hall of Fame Library does not convey any copyright or licensing rights to any image or photograph. Users are fully responsible for assessing rights and complying with intellectual property and copyright laws. 

Rates for black & white or color photographic prints (unmounted) for personal use: 

8×10 inches, $25.00;  11×14 inches,  $45.00;  16×20 inches, $65.00 

Hall of Fame members receive a 10% discount on reproductions and free shipping.

Please contact the Photo Archive for fee schedules related to commercial or scholarly use of images from our photographic collections. 

The photograph collections of the National Baseball Hall of Fame include: 

Hall of Famers

Images of Hall of Famers from Aaron to Yount.  This includes game and posed-action shots, publicity photographs, group and family portraits, award presentations, and special events. 

Players & Officials

Photographs of players, executives, owners, broadcasters, writers, umpires, and other baseball-related personalities. 

Team Portraits

Major, Minor, Negro, women's, and amateur league player group and team portraits. 

Game Action

Action shots from the World Series, Playoff, All-Star, and regular season games. 

Stadiums

Photographs of major league baseball stadiums and many minor league parks from the past and present. 

Hall of Fame Induction

Images of Hall of Fame inductees, officials, festivities, and exhibition games at Doubleday Field.  This includes photographs from the first Hall of Fame Day in 1939 up to the present year. 

Miscellaneous

Photographs depicting other aspects of baseball history including fans, spring training, baseball tours, advertising, and equipment. 

Original documents, photographs, and recordings are stored under state-of-the-art archival conditions designed to perpetuate the life of the collections.  In accordance with contemporary standards on the handling of artifacts, our staff may impose certain restrictions on the use of material by researchers. 

Donation of collections and individual items to the library are encouraged, and a Library Acquisitions Committee meets frequently to assess proposals.  Inquires regarding the donation of library related material may be directed to the Photo Archivists using the contact information provided above.