Our entire holdings consist of approximately one million photographs dating as early as the Civil War. The general date range of the collection consists of mid-19 th century to the 1990s, with particular focus on the World War II era. Photographs in the collection reflect both official and unofficial naval viewpoints and consist of donations and transfers made by both the Navy and the general public. The Naval History and Heritage Command’s photo collections are related to the US Navy (or other navies when specifically associated with US involvement or historical events) with specific emphasis on ships, aviation, places, wars/events, activities, and significant individuals associated with naval history.

Welcome to the online collections of the Photo Archive. We thank you for your patience and we look forward to being in our new home to better serve you. We will not be able to host any researchers or accept donations until after the move is complete. During this time, the Navy Photo Archives will attempt to answer inquiries from the public, but we will have reduced capability. This move will be ongoing through August 2023. The Naval History and Heritage Command offices are in the process of a once-in-a-lifetime move to a new location.

Us navy cold war pacific