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Three women cut a very large birthday cake. The words Happy Birthday are in a floral arrangement on the wall behind them
January 16, 2024

The Commons Turns 16!

Flickr Commons started sixteen years ago today!

“The Commons exists to show you hidden treasures in the world’s public photography archives and how your input and knowledge can help make these collections even richer. You’re invited to help describe the photographs you discover here, either by adding tags or leaving comments.”

Here’s the Flickr announcement of our initial pilot project with the Library of Congress (and here’s their blog post about the partnership).

A few other milestones got us to where we are today, including George Oates’ return and her research on where the Commons can go, culminating in The launch of the Flickr Foundation. A very sweet birthday indeed.

Two young romanian men in persian lambswool hats hold a bottle and gaze into the camera
Flickr Commons – how it works
Black and white photograph featuring a white woman blowing out candles on a birthday cake. She is surrounded by another seated woman and a man, standing behind her. On the photo is handwritten 'Nov 22-45' and 'Celebrating Marge's birthday'.
Sixteen years of Flickr Commons
composite photograph of a woman with nine different facial expressions. She is wearing a black turtleneck
Reopening the doors to Flickr Commons.
A child swinging at a baseball in a small baseball field while people watch from the stands.

Welcome To Menlo Park Planning, Our Newest Flickr Commons member

The Planning Division of the City of Menlo Park in California has located and preserved several sets of old photos from the history of Menlo Park as it was being expanded in the 1960s and 1980s.

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Screenshot of a PDF on Internet Archive

Do you know how to write a 100-year plan?

Not many of us do. So why not try the new session plan we're launching under CC-BY today! It's a PDF!

Try it now!
Letters spelling out TO SEE WORLD resting on a wall outside in front of a brick wall

Anil Dash - using community to build power

"The common theme was that belief that the web was about giving people power and a voice to hold the powerful accountable. It really did happen! We didn’t imagine it! And it got fully subverted."

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