Emmett Till Archives

Digital content from the Till Archives is provided here and in the FSU Digital Library for scholarship, research, and private study. Further use or copying of these works beyond Fair Use may require permission from the rights-holder. 

FSU Libraries typically does not control usage rights in works in the Till Archives. Unless specifically noted, it is not necessary to secure permission from FSU Libraries before making use of works from the Till Archives for publication, distribution, adaptation, display, or broadcast.

Copyright guidance is available below for some Till Archives works. For others, where the rights-holder is not currently known to FSU Libraries, we encourage users to make their own Fair Use determinations regarding their intended use of the work. Contact Special Collections & Archives by email if you have questions about use rights with regard to a specific photo, video, document, or if you have better information about the rights status of any particular work.

FSU Libraries typically does not hold copyright in newspapers and magazines in its holdings. Users should presume that copyright persists in articles and photographs from 1955 and later until it is proven otherwise. It is recommended that users contact publishers directly to inquire about permission to re-use articles or photos. Known contact information is below. Internet searches may turn up contact information for other publishers.

• Baltimore Afro-American: https://afro.com/frequently-asked-questions/
  • Question 7 addresses permission for use for historical articles and images.
• Chicago Defender. https://chicagodefender.com/archives-permissions

The Johnson Publishing Company Archive is jointly managed by the Getty Research Institute (GRI) and the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). See the JPCA Research Guide maintained by the GRI for more information.

Users interested in licensing images and text originally published in JPC publications, including Jet and Ebony, should contact staff at both the Getty Institute (JPCLicensing@getty.edu) and NMAAHC (NMAAHCImages@si.edu). Requests are subject to additional review due to the sensitive nature of some of these images.

The last known pictures of Emmett Till while alive were taken in December 1954. They have been re-published widely since 1955. FSU Libraries does not have current copyright information for these images. Users are encouraged to make their own Fair Use determinations regarding their intended use, and/or perform further rights research.

• Emmett Till, 1954. http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_MSS_2015-007_S03_SS02_I012
• Emmett and Mamie Till, 1954. http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_MSS_2015-007_S03_SS02_I014