Flickr Commons 13th Anniversary Photo Challenge

January 16th, 2021 marks the 13th Anniversary of the launch of the Flickr Commons and we’re getting ready to celebrate in a special way!

The Commons is an initiative that launched in 2008 as a pilot project with The Library of Congress to increase access to publicly-held photography collections and provide a way for the public to contribute their knowledge of the context behind these photos, artworks, and other images. To celebrate all of the members that have joined since then, and the vast array of photos available on Flickr through these collections, we want to set you up for a challenge: recreating a historical photograph from the Flickr Commons archives!


The Details

To inspire you, we’ve compiled a list of 13 historical photos that take us back in time, intrigue us and make us think or smile for different reasons. You are also free to explore other options in our Commons archives! The interpretation is entirely up to you: it can be a recreation or a modern twist. Choose one, get creative, and share your take in our Flickr Social group using the hashtag #FlickrCommons13 (adding it to the tags or description of your image). We’ll be sharing contributions on our social channels and across Flickr. Join us in celebrating the awesome collections being made available in the Flickr Commons!

You have until February 16 — a full month — to share your recreations. Which one will you pick?

Exercising on the Beach

Exercising on the Beach via the National Science and Media Museum

Durack sisters sparring with a speed bag

Durack sisters sparring with a speed bag via the State Library of Queensland

Man with Bike and Pet Dog circa 1900 (archive ref DDX1319-2-3)

Man with Bike and Pet Dog circa 1900 via the East Riding Archives

Tennis match anno 1900

Tennis match anno 1900 via Liberas

Operating a hand drill at Vultee-Nashville, woman is working on a "Vengeance" dive bomber, Tennessee  (LOC)

Operating a hand drill at Vultee-Nashville via The Library of Congress

Cheese market Alkmaar 1967

Cheese market Alkmaar 1967 via the Archief Alkmaar Commons

Vigilance, pug dog sitting on a balcony / J. Chester Jervis

Vigilance, pug dog sitting on a balcony via the National Library of Australia

Children ready for school during the 1918 flu epidemic  - Starke

Children ready for school during the 1918 flu epidemic via Florida Memory

CA_20131204_011

Portrait of a young girl 1939 via Costică Acsinte

Nursery school

Nursery school via the National Library of Medicine

Ghostly sighting?

Ghostly sighting? via The National Archives UK

Draagbare radio / Radio hat

Radio hat via the Nationaal Archief

Mailing Letters

Mailing Letters via The Smithsonian Institution