Search for photos
You can search by three different methods: current address, map Location, and Keywords.
Our photo locations are not exact but rather approximations based on old flight path maps. Our information shows where 36 images were photographed, but each image does not have an address or exact location associated with it unless a visitor comes to our website and entered it. We can usually narrow a search to several rolls of film, but it's up to you to visually identify the photo you're looking for.
Address Search
Addresses are auto-completed as you type them into the search bar. Start typing your current address, and when the correct address appears, click the suggested address to begin your search.
Important Tips
- Use modern addresses. Avoid searching by antiquated addresses or rural routes and include everything you’d need to send a letter, such as the number, street name, city, state, and postal code.
- Check for typos. We can’t provide accurate search results unless all address information is free of errors.
- Don’t include county or township in your address. This information isn’t necessary for our automated search tool.
- If an exact modern address is not available, try searching for an approximate one nearby. In many cases, homes or farms are no longer standing and don’t have current addresses. Use a nearby address to generate search results in that area.
Map location Search
Our map search tool on the county page allows you to select the search location using a spot on a map. Simply zoom and drag until the blue crosshair is over the desired location and click the “Search Nearby Photos” button. If there are no photos available, the button will change to the unmapped film link for the county if there are any.
Important Tips
1. You can toggle the map into satellite mode to display high-altitude satellite imagery.2. Clicking the coverage button will display an overlay showing where we have photos and their density.3. The images on this map are not our photos. They are just satellite images to help generate a search location.
Keyword Search
A keyword search looks through all comments and tags to return individual images that match. Try searching for things such as “dairy farm” or names like “Anderson” to view results. Keep in mind photos without comments are not included in the search. Once you click search, you can filter states or counties with the filter options on the right-hand side.
Un-Mapped Film
We also have some photos that don't have an approximate location due to not having the original flight path maps. The only information we have for this film is the county and year. These rolls will not appear in search results which means that you simply have to browse through them one at a time to recognize a particular photo. On the county page, just below the map or at the end of the search results page, there is a link that says “browsing our entire archive” This will bring you to the county index page showing all film in the county. These rolls of film are sorted by year from oldest to newest. Just above the rolls, it will be listed as “Locations Unknown” for any film without these maps.
If you have any questions about this process or would like to have our help with your search, please submit the address or any location information you have here.