Do not confuse evidence with illustration
Every visual should help the historical record become clearer. Direct evidence, museum photography, scans, maps, diagrams, reconstructions, and promotional visuals should be labeled in a way that does not mislead viewers.
Possible rights categories
Images and source media may come from several categories.
Open historical material
Works believed to be out of copyright or released for public use, with attribution when useful or required.
Licensed media
Media used under a license or platform terms, with required credit and limits followed.
Commentary and education
Limited excerpts or images used for commentary, education, criticism, historical explanation, or documentary context where appropriate.
Defeat History-created work
Defeat History-created graphics, cards, maps, edits, documentary visuals, and written summaries.
Reconstruction labels
Generated, illustrated, composited, restored, or reconstructed visuals that must not be presented as direct historical evidence.
Artifact records and museums
Artifact pages should distinguish original creator or culture, place of origin, current institution, accession number, catalog link, image rights, provenance, custody history, and repatriation or dispute status when known.
Rights-holder contact
If you own rights in material appearing on the site or believe a credit, license, image status, or artifact record needs correction, use the contact page with the URL, item title, claim, and supporting details.
Living records
Image credits, museum links, accession details, and provenance notes may be corrected as records change. Last updated: September 3, 2026.